By Bilesanmi Abayomi
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for its chairmanship and councilorship primary elections scheduled for May 10, attention has turned to the pivotal role of delegates — often dubbed “delicate” — for their unpredictability during party nomination processes.
In party politics, especially at the grassroots level, delegates hold the power to determine who emerges as the party’s flagbearers. They vote at congresses or specially convened meetings to select candidates for local government elections.
Findings by Kosofe Post reveal that aspirants for both chairmanship and councilorship positions have intensified efforts to court statutory delegates, with many engaging them directly and through intermediaries in a bid to secure vital votes.
Observers say delegates’ choices are frequently influenced by key political actors, including party leaders and influencers, who wield control over appointments or executive positions. In many cases, this influence is traded for financial or material inducements.
Ahead of primary contests, it is not uncommon for aspirants to lodge delegates in hotels to limit access by rival candidates. In what has become a recurring pattern, votes are often swayed by the highest financial bidder, leading to accusations of vote-selling and broken promises.
Some delegates are also known to collect money from multiple aspirants while claiming they will follow the will of the people — only to ultimately vote otherwise. This duplicity has earned them the moniker “delicate delegates,” a nod to both their strategic relevance and the uncertainty they bring to party primaries.
As the APC primaries approach, political analysts warn that the integrity of the delegate system will be tested once again, with significant implications for internal democracy and electoral credibility at the local government level.