The Impact of Intra-Party Conflict on Internal Democracy in Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections: A Case of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of intra-party conflict on democracy in Nigeria, with a specific focus on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) leading up to the 2023 general elections. The feud between Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the PDP, and Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, has significantly disrupted the party's cohesion since the presidential primary election in May 2022. This research highlights the challenges posed by unresolved internal discord within the PDP, including increased division, media warfare, and frequent defections. The study employs a mixed-method approach, utilising surveys with 389 respondents and interviews with 5 PDP stalwarts, alongside secondary sources and ordinal regression analysis, to investigate the impact of intra-party conflict dynamics, including party wrangling and factionalisation, on democracy indicators such as periodic elections, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law in Nigeria. The findings suggest that the PDP's electoral loss in 2023 was not associated with the internal conflict that engulfed the party.