Ayo Arise, an aspirant for the Ekiti North Senatorial District on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, has rejected the idea of consensus candidates for National Assembly positions ahead of the 2027 general election. He described the move as undemocratic and claimed it benefits aspirants without grassroots support. Arise, who previously represented the district in the Senate, insisted that party primaries must be conducted transparently and in line with due process. He stressed that only credible, elective processes would produce candidates capable of winning elections and serving effectively. Arise called on the APC to uphold internal democracy and ensure all aspirants are given fair opportunities to compete. His statement comes amid growing debate within the party over candidate selection methods for the upcoming election cycle. While some party members advocate for consensus to avoid internal conflicts, Arise argues that such an approach undermines competition and accountability. He pledged to continue advocating for open primaries and warned against attempts to impose candidates without popular backing.
Ayo Arise's rejection of consensus candidature in the APC is less about principle and more about survival in a party where incumbents and power brokers increasingly sideline competitive primaries. As a former senator, Arise is not merely defending democracy—he is fighting to preserve a pathway to relevance for aspirants without patronage networks. His insistence on credible primaries exposes a widening rift between grassroots members and party elites who prefer negotiated outcomes over electoral contests.
The push for consensus in Ekiti APC mirrors a broader trend in Nigerian politics where party structures are used to preselect candidates long before primary elections. Arise's criticism gains weight given his prior experience in office, suggesting that even established politicians feel excluded by backroom arrangements. The fact that he explicitly linked consensus to weak grassroots support hints at deeper discontent among party members who see internal democracy as a casualty of elite compromise.
For ordinary APC members in Ekiti, this signals that influence within the party may depend more on connections than votes. Voters, in turn, could face a shrinking pool of genuine choices in 2027 if primaries are bypassed. When party leadership favours consensus over competition, accountability weakens and public trust erodes.
This is not unique to Ekiti or 2027—similar dynamics played out in Oyo, Lagos, and Kaduna in previous election cycles. The normalization of consensus often paves the way for candidates who answer to a few kingmakers rather than the electorate.
