ELECTORAL REFORMS AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTAINABILITY.
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ELECTORAL REFORMS AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTAINABILITY.
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
According to Western historians, the golden chapters of the New World Order bear that good governance and growth are the desiderata of every state, which can only be attained by sustaining the fundamentals of democracy,
with election remaining its central nexus. As Gesset correctly observes, “the health of any democracy, regardless of its type or status, is dependent on a minor technical detail: the conduct of elections.” Everything else is incidental.” Animashaun (2010):2.
Elections are universally regarded as litmus tests for any democratic political system. In truth, elections are the foundation of all democracies since they confer legitimacy on power. Scholars, on the other hand, are quick to point out that not only elections, but credible elections, not only confer legitimacy on political leadership,
but also give citizens the ability to pick their rulers and decide on public policy, which is critical to the survival of democratic order. Citizens who are legally qualified to vote are given the option to choose political alternatives and make decisions that reflect their preferences in any democratic system. In a multi-party system, this decision is taken from among the various parties and candidates competing in the electoral market. (Ibid).
Elections, like all avenues of political communication, are a ‘two way street’ that allows the government and the people, the elite and the masses, to influence one another. However, it is important to recognise that elections perform a plethora of functions in all democracies, which can be summarised as follows:
recruiting politicians and public decision-making, forming governments, providing representation, influencing policy decisions, educating voters; building legitimacy; strengthening elites, providing succession in leadership, and extending participation to many people. Anifowose (2013):24.
Inquiring further into the concept of election, Dahl stated that three essential conditions must be met before any election can be considered valid: competition among individuals and political groups (political parties); an inclusive system of leadership recruitment; and the existence of a regime’s civil political rights.
These circumstances highlight the significance of elections as a regime legitimizer as well as a guarantee of public engagement in government, which is critical to the polity’s political stability.
However, the amount to which elections advance democratic order is primarily determined by the existing electoral system, its composition, and the acceptability of the electoral players. Bello-Imam (2008), p. 85.
From the preceding, it is clear that elections, not just elections, but credible, free, and fair elections, are the lifeblood of modern democracy and a key aspect in democratic consolidation.
Since independence, the crux of Nigerian politics has been the pursuit of transparent, credible, accountable, and legitimate elections to ensure that the best candidate emerges as the winner.
However, history has shown that in most new governments, particularly African states, election managers frequently substitute meritocracy for mediocrity by engaging in electoral fraud, or rigging (Olaniyi, 2006: 174).
The multiple elections held in Nigeria are a case in point. Unlike the elections held by incumbent civilian governments in 1959, 1979, 1993, 2003, and 2007, these elections were marred by serious electoral fraud/corruption such as ballot stuffing,
multiple voting, thuggery, abduction of contestants, disappearance of ballot boxes and electoral officers, rigging, and the list goes on. Today is September 23rd, 2009.
Thus, there is no point in claiming that Nigeria’s history of elections and electoral politics has been vanquished since it has suffered from institutional and experimental inadequacies.
As correctly stated, if the institutions charged with managing the electoral system in accordance with its statutory obligations do not handle the issue of elections with sincerity and patriotism,
it may generate animosity, which in a few cases has prompted military incursion into political governance, most notably in 1966 and 1983, and in most cases, it has threatened the country’s corporate existence.
Without describing the violence that accompanied Nigeria’s most historic election that was annulled–the June 12, 1993 Presidential election–this exposition would be suicidal. Animashaun (2010):3.
Furthermore, additional structural, institutional, and psycho-cultural variables have conspired to make open, competitive, and meaningful electoral politics elusive. These factors include, but are not limited to, the Nigerian economy’s dependence and underdevelopment; the limited autonomy of various electoral bodies; excessive monetization of politics in general;
a “winner take all” philosophy embedded in Nigeria’s First Past the Post system; religious bigotry and, to a lesser extent, ethnic chauvinism; and, most importantly, politics (Ibrahim, 2003: 36-42).
As a result of this, democratic forces and patriots (such as the Coalition of Democratic for Electoral Reforms (CODER)) have mobilised our people to ensure electoral reforms that will serve as the foundation for recreating, re-building, and sustaining our democratic heritage. The Nations (2010):59.
Against this backdrop, many governments in Nigeria’s fourth republic have embarked on a series of electoral reforms that have resulted in Electoral laws and Acts.
One such change was that produced by the Electoral change Committee (ERC) established by the Yaradua/Jonathan administration in 2008, which was a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic consolidation.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In Nigeria, it is clear that the problematic character of elections, which is frequently accompanied by varying degrees of electoral malpractice, has been a repeating pattern in politics, with disastrous effects in the polity both in hindsight and in the present.
To avoid repeating history, leaders deemed it prudent to devise strategies for improving elections and electoral systems in order to achieve a better Nigeria.
This was done, however, in the guise of a reform known as ‘electoral reforms,’ which has become a hot topic in Nigeria’s political discourse. Electoral reform thus becomes a research topic to examine how it has contributed to assuring legitimacy and democratic sustainability in Nigeria.
1.3 FURTHER RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Several questions arose during the research process that would serve as the foundation for the content of our study. This includes the following:
– Is it necessary to implement electoral reforms?
– To what extent have elections influenced Nigeria’s democratic sustainability?
– Are there any issues impeding the holding of free and fair elections?
– What impact have election changes had on the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria?
– How has electoral reform aided in the improvement of Nigeria’s election process?
– How far has the electoral process benefited Nigeria’s international relations or reputation in the international community?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research aims to achieve the following goals:
– To bring to light previous instances of electoral fraud.
– To identify and analyse areas in which reforms are required.
– To identify and forecast future methods of conducting free and fair elections.
– To shed light on the relationship between the democratic process and national growth.
– To assess the significance of election reforms for democratic sustainability and country development.
1.5 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research cannot be overstated because it is being conducted to serve the following purposes:
– The research will serve as a template for the administration, which is now experimenting with how to best assure free and fair elections in the spirit of true democracy.
– The study will pave the way for future research on election-related issues.
– It will be used as academic material for political science and other social science students.
– To contribute to the onslaught of knowledge and scholarship.
– It will also act as another study that will provide pertinent comments and recommendations based on the findings, thereby improving Nigeria’s voting process.
1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is primarily focused with election reforms in Nigeria and their impact on the country’s democracy. The study is organised into chapters based on this assumption, with four chapters dealing with unique but interrelated concerns that are systematically linked.
The first chapter establishes the framework for the work, the second critically reviews related literature and the theoretical framework of the study, the third evaluates the research topic-Electoral Reforms and Democratic Sustainability in Nigeria, and the fourth chapter deals with the summary, recommendations, and conclusion.
The research’s main constraint is that the research topic is a current problem in political debate, hence the scarcity of publications on the subject. Access to some resources is also restricted due to the fact that some information is classified and those that are made available are misrepresented.
1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study work is primarily based on secondary data sources such as related books, newspapers, articles, journals, magazines, and other relevant information from the internet.
These statistics were obtained from libraries such as the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Library on Victoria Island in Lagos and the Department of Political Science Library at the University of Benin in Benin City. The data will be analysed using content analysis.
1.8 DEFINITON OF CONCEPTUAL TERMS
This is a must for any scientific or empirical inquiry. It establishes the foundation for complete comprehension of major concepts that will be used; this is because concepts are the “building blocks” of any particular field. As a result, the following notions require operational elucidation.
Election: The process by which a people choose their rulers and appoint a person or persons to positions of power in a state or society. Ikelegbe (2004): 120
The technique by which a person is elected to public office, or the taking and counting of ballots, is referred to as the electoral process.
Electoral System: A set of rules and regulations that regulate the selection of office holders in a company or state. (Nnoli, 2003: 230).
Electoral Reform: This is a methodical approach to reforming the electoral system in order to improve government and politics. (Adama, 2008).
Democracy: A political system that allows citizens to participate in political decision-making, often through representatives of governing bodies. Giddens et al.
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