“The ballot is stronger than the bullet, but only when the hands that hold the cards are the hands of the many, not the few.”
Abraham Lincoln
(16th President of the United States)
Dear {{First name|Active Citizen}},
So you know how everyone has been talking about CVR - register, register, register?
Valid. Important. Do it.
But here’s what nobody is saying loudly enough: registering to vote is not the only game in town right now. Something bigger is happening within political parties, and honestly, I think it’s one area that’s often overlooked.
Do you know the people who will emerge as candidates in 2027 are about to be chosen? Not by INEC, but by party members in primaries that opened today, April 23, and close May 30.
And this year, those primaries are different.
The Electoral Act 2026 killed the delegate system. You know that thing where a small group of handpicked delegates would gather, collect their settlement, and rubber-stamp whoever the godfather wanted? It’s illegal now. What the law allows instead is a direct primary - where every single registered card-carrying party member votes - or consensus - where every cleared aspirant must personally sign off before anyone gets a ticket.
Every. Single. Aspirant. One person says no? The whole consensus arrangement collapses, and a direct primary must be held.
So, think about that young leader in your community, the one who has earned the people's trust through years of quiet, consistent work. Under the old system, their path was blocked by "godfathers" and backroom deals. And even when these young candidates manage to scrape together the funds to purchase the exorbitant nomination forms, that investment was often wasted because a "nod" from above decided the winner regardless of merit. Now, for the first time, that financial sacrifice actually buys them a fair shot. If they can get on the ballot, their fate is decided by the people who know them, not the chairmen who ignore them.
But - and this is the part you need to hear - only members whose names are on the party register submitted to INEC can vote or contest. Several parties have already announced their membership deadlines, and some are as early as next week.
Which is exactly why we’re bringing this to your inbox today. Because if you or anyone you know is serious about contesting in 2027, or just having a say in the candidate that emerges, the window is now. Register with a party to get your name on that register before it closes, and the rest of the process - forms, screening, and primaries follow from there.
The law built this opening. And it will favour whoever shows up organised.
Are you showing up?
Primaries: April 23 – May 30, 2026.
The window is open. Barely.
And we’ll be watching - breaking down every step of this process, tracking what parties are doing, and bringing it straight to your inbox. Stay with us.
Now, Let’s Take This Offline
On Thursday, April 30, we’re getting off the screens and into the room.
Same conversation - party politics, the new rules, what the law actually means for young Nigerians who want in, but this time face-to-face, with people who are already in the process.
Victoria Oladipo of Learn Politics and Olugbenga George of the Coalition of Young Compatriots in Africa will be there. So will young Nigerians who aren’t just talking about participating in party politics - they’re doing it.
It is true that we can mobilise digitally, but can we sustain this offline? Reserve a seat here and tell a friend to tell a friend!
In service of the #OfficeOfTheCitizen
The EiE Nigeria Team.
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Enough thinking. Enough ranting. Let's build.