In this article we investigate how parties ‘close out the electoral market’ by monopolizing the channels of upward mobility for aspiring politicians (by reducing the number of independents). We analyse data from (1228) single-member constituency elections from three sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Malawi and Zambia) and six national legislative elections. We find that level of incumbent governing party support is the strongest predictor in explaining the likelihood that independent candidates would run for office at the constituency level across all three cases'