AN ASSESSMENT OF INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
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AN ASSESSMENT OF INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Section 153 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution established the INEC. It is in charge of organising referendums and elections for the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the president, vice president, state governors and deputy governors.
The INEC also has the authority to register political parties and oversee their organisation and operations, including assessing their funds and issuing public reports.
It also has the authority to handle voter registration, oversee political campaigns, and carry out other duties as delegated by the National Assembly. The commission is made up of a chairman,
who also serves as the chief executive officer, and 12 members known as national electoral commissioners; the secretary to the commission is chosen from the institution’s ranks of bureaucrats.
The constitution also provides for a resident electoral commissioner in each of the federation’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as administrative offices in all of the country’s local administrations.
The Electoral Institute is the commission’s training and research arm. Despite the fact that there are no special provisions for the physically disabled or quotas for women in the INEC’s management, the commission now has three female commissioners.
While the INEC is generally autonomous in terms of operational and financial oversight, it lacks the authority to intervene to protect the integrity of the election process.
Poor management and electoral violence have been the norm in Nigerian electoral administration and management, as evidenced by elections held in the country in 1964, 1979, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011. As a result, this report on INEC’s evaluation of the 2015 general election in Nigeria was necessary.
However, the INEC faces some institutional challenges in carrying out its responsibilities, such as its reliance on (and insufficient control over) ad hoc staff, for which it lacks a nationwide recruitment database; bureaucratic’red-tapism’ and staff attitude; poor delegation of responsibilities and overlapping functions (INEC 2012).
These issues frequently lead to late election preparations, a lack of coordination, and low-level interdepartmental cooperation and communication gaps. The commission’s work is also hampered by structural flaws,
a lack of proper career advancement, poor record keeping, insufficient communication between the commission headquarters and its state offices, and over-centralization of planning (INEC 2012).
The 2015 general elections, the fourth in a series of elections in the Fourth Republic, were notable for being the first democratic election to topple an incumbent president. Professor Attahiru Jega, who also presided over the 2011 general elections, oversaw the polls.
The distribution of permanent voters cards (PVC) and continuous voters registration (CVR) was a critical element in the election preparations. Another crucial aspect of preparation was the usage of a card reader,
which was utilised to validate the authenticity of PVCs and ensure that a potential voter is initially registered and has his or her name in the INEC voters database. The electoral authority faced security challenges as it prepared for the general elections.
The elections took place at a time when the country was fighting a war against general instability, which was primarily caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. All of the factors described above posed significant hurdles to the conduct of the 2015 general elections. In order to overcome these issues,
the Independent National Electoral Commission announced on February 27th, 2015 that it has delivered 54,377,747 (fifty-four million, three hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and forty-seven) PVCs to everyone who had registered for the general elections.
This accounted for 78.93% of the total number of INEC-registered voters (Hassan, 2015). The election was held, and Mohammadu Buhari of the APC was declared the winner and re-elected after meeting the legal requirements and receiving the most votes. National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Prior to the publication of the presidential election results, there was widespread speculation that there might be post-election violence. People preferred to stay at home and watch the proceedings on television. The elections were watched by different election observation missions, who uniformly described them as calm and credible (Adamu, 2015).
In summarising the Commonwealth Observer Group’s Election Observer Mission, Dr. Bakili Muluzi stated that the 28th March 2015 election elections marked an important step forward for democracy in Africa’s most populous country and a key member of the Commonwealth.”
He stated that, despite organisational and technical shortcomings, the Presidential and National Assembly elections were mainly peaceful and transparent (Muluzi, 2015). He also stated that, despite technical difficulties,
he is confident that there is still room for progress. He did, however, commend all Nigerians for their patience and maturity in conducting the elections peacefully (Muluzi, 2015). National Electoral Commission (NEC).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The 2015 general elections, on the other hand, have been hailed as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s political history. The elections drew viewers from all across the world. Local and foreign observers deemed the election a success. It is important to note, however, that even though the conduct of the elections was given a pass mark,
it is necessary to assess the performance of the electoral body in order to detect areas of challenge with the goal of improving on them for future elections, thus the need for this study on the assessment of the independent national electoral commission INEC and the management of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the study’s objectives:
To assess INEC’s performance in managing and conducting Nigeria’s general elections in 2015.
To investigate the INEC’s level of success in managing Nigeria’s 2015 general elections.
To identify the issues involved with the conduct and management of Nigeria’s 2015 general elections.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What was INEC’s performance in managing and conducting Nigeria’s general elections in 2015?
What is the INEC’s level of success in managing the 2015 general elections in Nigeria?
What are the issues with the conduct and management of Nigeria’s 2015 general elections?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are the study’s implications:
This study will educate the general public on INEC’s activities, with a specific focus on the management of the 2015 general election in Nigeria, with the goal of determining the success and issues related with election management. The National Electoral Commission (NEC)
This study will contribute to the body of literature on the effect of personality traits on student academic achievement, forming the empirical literature for future research in the field.
1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This research is limited to the administration of the 2015 general elections. It will also discuss the successes and pitfalls of Nigeria’s 2015 general election. National Electoral Commission (NEC).
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint- A lack of funds tends to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection procedure (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced. The National Electoral Commission (NEC).
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