The Party Machine: Why Political Parties Don't Serve You: Full Edition

Why Political Parties Don't Serve You

Ibrahim arrives at the APC presidential primary in Abuja with ₦20,000 in his pocket, a borrowed agbada, and the knowledge that his value is about to be tested. By the time he checks into his hotel in Wuse, three campaign teams have visited his room. Team A offers $5,000. Team B offers $8,000 plus a board appointment. Team C will return in the morning. Ibrahim is a statutory delegate — one of the 4,000 people who will choose who Nigerian voters get to choose from. The Party Machine examines the election before the election: how Nigerian political parties operate as delegate markets, how the party primary system ensures that no genuine reformer reaches the ballot, and what it would actually take to reclaim a party from the inside.