Effective Election Administration and the Prospect of Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria

Abstract With authoritarianism fast losing its appeal as a system of government and democracy emerging as possibly the best form of government suited to allowing people live in dignity and freedom, nations across the globe, particularly those that have exited authoritarian rule, are taking measures to consolidate democracy and ensure that they do not return to the dark days of authoritarianism. One of such measures is elections, which have come to be accepted as the best way to determine who rules. In Nigeria, elections have held periodically, every four years, since the return to democratic rule in 1999. However, conducting free and fair elections that meet international standards has remained a daunting challenge, with the outcomes of most elections hotly contested up to the Supreme Court. Elections in Nigeria have been characterized by vote buying, harassment of the opposition, manipulation of election figures, and, most dangerously, the collusion of election managers (INEC and SIECs) with the ruling parties, using state apparatuses to alter the democratic choices of the people. These and many other ills, such as the failure of the government to deliver tangible dividends of democracy, have led many to question the appropriateness of democracy for Nigeria, with many even looking back nostalgically to military rule. It is against this backdrop that this paper is birthed, with the recommendation that constitutional amendment to insulate INEC from undue executive influence, so as to protect its independence and impartiality, is imperative. Keywords: Elections, Election management, Democracy, Democratic Consolidation, Constitution.