Articles · Vol. 31 No. 3 (2006): Africa Development: Special Issue on Electoral Politic

3 - Do Votes Count? The Travails of Electoral Politics in Nigeria

Vol. 31 · 2006 No. 3 Africa Development: Special Issue on Electoral Politic AD

Abstract

This paper examines contemporary dimensions of electoral politics in Nigeria against a backdrop of historical experiences. It details issues, events and developments before, during and after elections. Its central argument is that Nigeria has suffered from both institutional (organizations + values /rules/norms) and experiential deficits in regard of required ramparts for electoral politics conducive to democratic renewal and consolidation. Organisations have been bereft of values required for turning them into effective institutions while dominant values have been toxic to democratic politicking. While years of dictatorship under colonial, military and civil rule partly account for the parlous state of electoral politics in Nigeria, the nature of political leadership, its shortsightedness as well as its lack of commitment to and experience in the democratic management of diversity in the context of restrained governance, have devalued politics and elections in Nigeria, reducing the latter literally to an instrument of warfare by other means. Electoral merchants or better still political barons have hijacked the electoral process marginalizing the people, discounte- nancing their voices and choices and steadily sliding the fourth republic on the path of systemic collapse. Engendering a functional and transparent electoral system will require revaluing institutional capacity and political ethos by the political elites in Nigeria.

Statistics

Abstract views
236
Downloads
92

References

  1. Abdullahi, Bolaji, 2003, see, http://allafrica.com/special/nigeria_elections 2003/+ Abubakar,
  2. Atiku, 2005, ‘Elections and the Peoples Mandate’, Keynote Address delivered at the National
  3. Conference on ‘Elections, 2007: Protecting the Peoples’ Mandate’ organised by the International
  4. Human Rights Law Group,on 25 August 2005.
  5. Adejumobi, Said, 2004, ‘Civil Society and Federalism in Nigeria’, Regional and Federal Studies,
  6. Vol. 14, No. 2, Summer, pp. 211-231.
  7. Adejumobi, Said, 2000, ‘Elections in Africa: A Fading Shadow of Democracy?’,
  8. International Political Science Review, Vol. 21, No 1, pp.59-75.
  9. Adejumobi, Said, 2002, ‘Democracy and Good Governance in Africa: Theoretical and Methodological
  10. Issues’, in A. Bujra and S. Adejumobi, eds., Breaking Barriers, Creating New Hopes: Democracy,
  11. Civil Society and Good Governance in Africa, Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press.
  12. Adejumobi, S., 1997, ‘The Two Political Parties and the Electoral Process in Nigeria: 1989-1993’,
  13. in Georges Nzongola Ntalaja and Magaret Lee, eds., The State and Democracy in Africa, Harare: AAPS.
  14. Agbaje, Adigun, 2004, ‘Prospects for the Fourth Republic’, in E. Gyimah-Boadi, ed., Democratic
  15. Reform in Africa: The Quality of Progress, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, pp. 201-234.
  16. Ake, Claude, 2000, The Feasibility of Democracy in Africa, Dakar: CODESRIA. Amuwo, K, Agbaje, A,
  17. Suberu, R. and Herault, R., eds., 1998, Federalism and
  18. Political Restructuring in Nigeria, Ibadan: Spectrum Books.
  19. Anifowoshe, Remi and Babawale, Tunde, 2003, 2003 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in
  20. Nigeria, Lagos: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
  21. Bayart, Jean-François, Ellis, Stephen, and Hibou, Beatrice, 1999, The Criminalization of the State
  22. in Africa, Oxford and Bloomington and Indianapolis: James Currey and Indiana University Press.
  23. Centre for Democracy and Development, 2003, ‘CDD’s Summary Report on the 2003 Elections in
  24. Nigeria’, Lagos, Mimeo.
  25. Electoral Reform Network, 2001, Nigerian Civil Society Input into the Electoral Bill 2001, Abuja: ERN.
  26. Fawole, Alade, 2005, ‘Voting Without Choosing: Interrogating the Crisis of Electoral Democracy in
  27. Nigeria’, in Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo, ed., Liberal Democracy and its Critics in Africa: Political
  28. Dysfunction and the Struggle for Social Progress, Dakar: CODESRIA.
  29. Guardian Newspaper, 2005, ‘The PDP Congresses and Convention’, Editorial,
  30. Guardian, Lagos, 21 October.
  31. Haruna, Mohammed, 2001, ‘The Electoral Law as Obasanjo’s Defining Moment’,
  32. The Comet Newspaper, Lagos, 19 December, p. 9.
  33. Ihonvbere, Julius, ed., 1989, The Political Economy of Crisis and Underdevelopment in Africa:
  34. Selected Works of Claude Ake, Lagos: Jad Publishers.
  35. Iyayi, Festus, 2005, ‘Elections and Electoral Practices in Nigeria: Dynamics and Implications’, The
  36. Constitution: Journal of Constitutional Development, Vol. 5, No. 2, June.
  37. Jinadu, L. Adele, 1997, ‘Matters Arising: African Elections and the Problem of Electoral
  38. Administration’, African Journal of Political Science, Vol. 2, No. 1,pp. 1-11.
  39. Kurfi, Ahmadu, 2005, Nigerian General Elections, 1951-2003: My Role and Reminiscences, Ibadan:
  40. Spectrum Books.
  41. LeVan, A., Pitso Titi, C. and Adebo, B., 2004, ‘Elections in Nigeria: Is the Third Time A Charm’,
  42. Journal of African Elections, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 30-47.
  43. Lewis, Peter, 2003, ‘Nigeria: Elections in a Fragile Regime’, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 14, No. 3,
  44. July, pp. 131-144.
  45. Madunagu, Edwin, 2005, ‘PDP and the Nation’, Guardian, Lagos, 10 October. Mill, John Stuart, 1948,
  46. ‘On Liberty’ and ‘Considerations on Representative
  47. Government’, edited with an Introduction by R.B. MacCallum, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 161-174.
  48. Mole, Stuart, 2003, ‘The 2003 Nigerian Elections: A Democratic Settlement?’, The
  49. Round Table, July, No. 370, pp. 423-28.
  50. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2002, 19 September.
  51. Obasanjo, Olusegun, 2004, ‘Text of a Reply to Audu Ogbeh in Response to Ogbeh’s letter on “Re:
  52. Anambra and other Related Matters”’, 10 December.
  53. Obi, Amanze, 2005, ‘DP versus MDD’, Daily Sun Newspaper, Lagos, 14 November, pp. 56.
  54. Okurounmi, Femi, 2003, ‘To Get to the Senate, You Need to Have About 1 Billion Naira’, Interview in
  55. the Saturday Punch, Lagos, 5 April, p. 45.
  56. Ogunsanwo, Alaba, 2003, ‘Keynote Address’, in R. Anifowoshe and T. Babawale, eds., 2003 General
  57. Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria, Lagos: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
  58. Onuoha, Brown, 2003, ‘Comparative Analysis of General Elections in Nigeria’, in
  59. R. Anifowoshe and T. Babawale, eds., 2003 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in
  60. Nigeria, Lagos: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Sunday Champion, 23 July 2003.
  61. Yaqub, Nuhu, 2001, ‘1993 Presidential Elections in Nigeria and the alleged Use of Excessive Money:
  62. Implications for the Country’s Political Culture and Future Politics’, Journal of Third World Studies, Fall.

Most read articles by the same author(s)