Impact of the New Electoral Act on the Advancement of Democracy and Politics in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The process by which democratic principles such as popular sovereignty, empowerment, political equality, majority rule, functional constitution, rule of law, independent judiciary, periodic free and fair elections, and human rights and freedom are enshrined in a polity is referred to as democratic governance. Democratic governance is a process by which democratic principles such as these are enshrined in a polity (Ajayi, 2017). However, in the case of Nigeria, these values are not becoming more robust because they are not operating effectively, particularly the ideal of free and fair elections, which is perhaps the most important of the three key principles. Election is highly essential in a democracy because it is the means through which the expression of the people are expressed through legitimacy and the succession of leadership. In other words, election is the medium. According to Apam (2022), an election is described as a post mortem that investigates the record of office holders whose actual performance may have little to do with promises made when they were previously elected. This is because real performance may have little to do with promises made. However, the ambition for democratic government in the nation has not been satisfied by the three general elections that have been held in Nigeria since the re-emergence of democracy in 1999 (the years 2003, 2007, and 2015 respectively). Nevertheless, with the exception of the results of the election in 2015, it is the same political party that has been dominating the nation at the center; as a result, the legitimacy of those elections is called into doubt due to the irregularities that have been associated with them (Bako, 2021). It is important to note that the fight for democracy in Nigeria was not conceived solely as a means to an end in itself, to end the rule of the military, or as an initiative oriented toward the outside world. Rather, the fight for democracy in Nigeria was conceived as a means to achieve responsible political institutions, which promote a government that is accountable to the people (Bello, 2017). In the meantime, democratic governance is not only about elections and the handing over of power to civilians; it is also about the rule of law, respect for the constitution and for fundamental human rights, socio-economic empowerment and peace, security for lives and property, and other such things. The state that Nigerian democracy has been in throughout this age, in terms of improving the political and socio-economic empowerment of its population, continues to be an illusion. As a result, it poses fundamental questions such as, “What does it mean to be a democratic society, and which democracy is appropriate?” It is important to ask these questions because, once democratic government is fully in place in Nigeria, it is anticipated that it will create happiness for a significant portion of the population, in contrast to the happiness experienced by a small number of “transnationally oriented elite” in the country. In addition to this, it is anticipated that it will bring about equality, a slow and steady transformation of the socioeconomic and political systems, as well as the legitimate creation of an environment that will enable people at all levels to exercise control and authority over the political and economic activities that have an impact on them (Diamond, 2015). In most nations, the defects in the electoral act lead to election rigging, which is a severe danger to democratic norms in any liberal democracy. Elections may be rigged in a number of different ways. These problems are built into the electoral rules of the majority of African states. Kenya, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and other nations all have issues with their electoral rules because of inadequacies in the Electoral Act. The democratic process in Nigeria is hampered by these flaws. Nigeria’s democracy is the most populous democracy in Africa with population of over 150 million. People often believe that the rest of Africa would follow in the footsteps of Nigeria because of its massive size. As a result, a great deal is anticipated from Nigeria. This indicates that the manner in which she manages her electoral process can serve as a model for democratic procedures in other African nations (Dode, 2016). In 1960, Nigeria won its independence from the British imperialists and immediately transitioned into a democratic system of government. Therefore, the study examines the impact of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy and  politics in Nigeria.

Statement of the problem

A number of different things contributed to the faulty election that took place in Nigeria. Incompetence on the part of the electoral commission, which acts as an umpire during the voting process, the do-or-die mentality of political parties in their quest to seize political power by any means necessary, widespread procedural irregularities, numerous incidences of violence, intimidation of the electorate, stuffing of the electoral box, poverty on the part of the electorate, and other factors are chief among the contributing factors. Other contributing factors include: etc (Ebirim, 2020). The results of several elections have been so hotly challenged in recent years that both the very existence of the nation and its democracy are now in jeopardy. This unfortunate pattern of election fraud has significant repercussions for Nigeria’s political future since the practice, rather than diminishing, continues expanding and getting more sophisticated with each election that comes after it. (Elaigwu, 2022). Hence,the need to look into impact of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy and  politics in Nigeria.

Objective of the study

The general objective of the study is to examine the impact of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy and  politics in Nigeria. The specific objectives is as follows.

i.          To examine the impact of of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.

ii.        To find out the  benefit of the new electoral act.

iii.      To investigate if the new electoral act will help in reducing rigging during election

Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study

i.          What is the impact of of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy in Nigeria?

ii.        What is  the  benefit of the new electoral act in Nigeria?

iii.      Will  the new electoral act will help in reducing rigging during election?

Significance of the study

This study will be significant to INEC as it will be exposed to the challenges in implementing the changes in the electoral act and also improving in strategy to conduct free and fair election.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

Scope of the study

The study will examine the impact of of the new electoral act on the advancement of democracy in Nigeria. The study will also find out the  benefit of the new electoral act. Finally, the study will investigate if the new electoral act will help in reducing rigging during election. Hence this study is delimited to INEC Nigeria.

Limitation of the study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

Definition of terms

Electoral act: Act of Parliament having effect for the purposes of section 58(4) of the Constitution

Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

Politics: the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power.