Brief 6 : electoral reforms and the credibility of elections in Nigeria; 2015 and beyond
Date
2013-12
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University for Peace Africa Programme, Addis Ababa, ET
Abstract
This policy brief seeks to make a case for the implementation of three
additional recommendations made by the Justice Mohammed Uwais
Electoral Reform Committee. This is against the backdrop of Nigeria’s
electoral history, which is largely notorious for lacking credibility
especially in the wake of the fourth republic. Currently reforms are being
explored and implemented under the Jonathan administration to bring
credibility back to the electoral process and in the same light consolidate
the democratic structure of the state. A major milestone was recorded
during the last (April 2011) elections, heralded by the appointment of
Professor Attahiru Jega’s approach to managing the process, where the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost its stranglehold of parliament, the
senate, and the House of Representatives for the first time since 1999.
This was a new state of affairs in Nigeria’s political story.38 While these
milestones must be cherished, the fact that irregularities such as incidents
of ballot stuffing, vote buying and other forms of election rigging were recorded implies that more needs to be done to guard against going
back to the status quo ante. This brief suggests the incorporation of
three other aspects of Justice Uwais’ report to build upon the systematic
framework it proffers for the electoral reform process. These include
capacity building among the electorate; sustaining the independence of
the Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), especially the Independent
Electoral Commission (INEC); and creating a framework to disable
the zero-sum nature of politics in Nigeria. These reforms are urgent
considering the oncoming 2015 elections and the future of Nigerian
democracy.
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Policy Brief
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Keywords
NIGERIA, DEMOCRACY, ELECTORAL ISSUES, ELECTORAL PROCESS, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, POLITICAL PARTIES, VOTER REGISTRATION, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ELECTION RESULTS
Citation
Orievulu, K.S. (2013). Brief 6 : Electoral Reforms and the Credibility of Elections in Nigeria: 2015 and beyond. UPEACE Africa Policy Series, 1(1): 55-62.