ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA
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ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to look into the impact of election malpractice on democratic consolidation in the fourth republic. The researchers used historical and descriptive techniques. Secondary data was gathered from journals, publications, library resources, and online sources that were relevant to the study.
According to the study’s findings, electoral malpractice in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic has resulted in the imposition of corrupt and illegitimate leaders who have no regard for democratic principles such as good governance, rule of law, constitutionalism, and fundamental human rights.
As a result, the report proposes combating incumbency power, violence, corruption, and impunity in order to improve the democratic process. Furthermore, the election commission should be given autonomy and be free of political interference.
Finally, the judiciary should strive to insulate themselves and resist all attempts to drag their personnel into the murky waters of partisan politics, while maintaining their independence, honesty, and integrity in their decisions,
while political leaders should strictly adhere to the application of rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic values, the legitimacy of government, and the consolidation of democracy in th
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
Elections have not only been a tool for judging the integrity and validity of a democratic government, but they have also become a tool for determining the death of authoritarianism or the transition to democracy. The universal approval of its conduct as free and fair by individuals and the international community constitutes a credible election.
It is one thing to hold an election and then move to democracy, and it is quite another to hold regular elections for years following the change. It also means having credible elections that are widely acknowledged as free and fair by
individuals and the international community. The acceptance of election results by stakeholders would thereby boost the likelihood of democratic consolidation.
Democracy is a form of government that encourages popular participation in government and holds elected officials accountable to the voters. Representatives are public office holders who are elected by the people through an electoral process, with their primary role being to promote the electorate’s interest in the government.
Elections, on the other hand, are democracy’s lifeline. It is the pivot on which democracy spins. According to Osumah and Aghemelo (2010),“election is a process through which the people choose their leaders and indicate their policies and program preference and consequently invest a government with authority to rule.”
“It is the procedure through which qualified adult voters elect their politically preferred representatives to parliament legislature of a county (or any other public positions) for the purpose of framing and running the government of the country, Ozor (2010).”
The trust in this mechanism stems from the fact that it allows the people to determine who and who should wield political power in relation to their various interests by providing the ballot as an outlet for the expression of voter preference based on their assessment of the integrity of candidates and the dependability of the candidate’s party manifesto.
The issues of election misconduct have grounded Nigeria’s fourth republic’s democratisation crisis. Aside from the longer years of colonial dominance and post-independence military expedition that ended with the fourth republic, elections in the country have been plagued by spiralling electoral malpractices,
as confirmed by domestic and external election monitoring bodies during the fourth republic elections.Election fraud has been a stumbling block in the country’s democratisation, even as the country struggles with numerous other issues such as corruption,
factionalism, insurgency, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, and ethno-religious discord. This study tries to investigate election misconduct and democratic consolidation using the fourth republic as a case study.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite a decade and a half of democratic experimentation, efforts to consolidate democracy in Nigeria’s fourth republic have been hampered by electoral malpractices. The crisis of democratic consolidation caused by electoral fraud manifests itself as corruption, instability, and weak democratic institutions.
The importance of democratic consolidation in Nigeria, as in other nascent democracies, is heavily dependent on the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections. Beginning in 1999, a consistent goal of Nigeria’s fourth republic governments has been the consolidation of the country’s democracy and democratic institutions in order to improve the country’s socioeconomic standing as well as its foreign image.
However, this ambition has run into a number of stumbling blocks, including corruption, factionalism, ethno-religious strife, insurgency, poverty, and electoral malpractice.
One of these impediments is electoral misconduct, which threatens the basic foundations of democracy.In response, the purpose of this research is to look into how these elements contribute to the sickness of electoral fraud in Nigeria’s fourth republic and how it impacts the country’s democracy.
1.3 purpose of The study
The primary goal of this research is to look into electoral fraud and the consolidation of democracy in the fourth republic. The study specifically seeks
1. To investigate the nature of electoral misconduct reported in Nigerian elections.
2. To investigate whether the absence of INEC autonomy contributed to election misconduct in Nigeria’s 2015 general elections.
3. To investigate the impact of electoral misconduct on Nigerian democracy.
1.4 Research Hypothesis
HO1: Election misconduct in Nigeria’s 2015 general elections was exacerbated by INEC’s lack of autonomy.
4. HO2: There is no evidence of electoral malpractice affecting the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria’s fourth republic.
1.5 Significance of the research
This study is significant in that it investigates the topic of election misconduct and how it threatens Nigeria’s fourth republic’s efforts at democratisation. It also examines the fundamental reasons linked with election fraud and proposes measures to avoid them.
It will act as a wake-up call for researchers, government officials, and ordinary readers who sincerely want to comprehend Nigeria’s barrier to democratic consolidation.
Again, it would serve to sensitise the public and raise awareness about the negative effects of electoral malpractice on Nigeria’s quest for democratisation.
1.6 Scope of The Study
The scope of this study is limited to the impact of election malpractice on Nigeria’s democratic consolidation. As a result, the analysis is limited to the fourth republic, with a focus on the 2015 general elections.
1.7 limitations of the Research
The following variables are identified as limitations during the course of this investigation.
Financial constraints impede the researcher’s efficiency in discovering relevant resources, literature, or information, as well as data collecting (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the time spent researching is minimised.
1.8 Research Methodology
The procedures or strategies used to find, select, process, and analyse information about a topic are referred to as research methodology. This material primarily uses qualitative secondary data to describe the issues of election malpractices in Nigeria’s fourth republic and the important strategies of resolving the challenges.
It focuses on the complicated and intricate process of creating and maintaining meanings that other methods cannot easily convey (Creswell, 2007).
It is said to be appropriate for comprehending situations such as the holding of elections in Nigeria. It is how people make sense of their lives, experiences, and worldviews (Ateno, 2009).
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