British Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 155 April 2015, Vol. 13 (1)

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "British Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 155 April 2015, Vol. 13 (1)"

Transcription

1 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 155 Electoral Violence and Political Apathy in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges Nuka aturday Amanyie Ph.D tudent University of Uyo Akwa-Ibom tate Kia Bariledum (Ph.D) Facilitator National Open University of Nigeria, Port Harcourt tudy Centre Nwibor Barika Lucky General tudies Department Rivers tate Polytechnic, Bori Abstract This paper examines the effect of electoral violence on political participation in Nigeria with specific reference to the percentage of voter s turnout in public elections from the April, 2007 general elections to the August 2014, Osun tate Gubernatorial election. The study hypothesized that there is a correlation between electoral violence in all its ramifications and the apathetic behaviour of voters in Nigeria. This argument is fixed into the theoretical and methodological framework of the Elitist theory. This theory aims at describing, explaining and predicting the possible consequences of absolute reliance on terror and violence as means of winning elections by the elite or political class and the implication of this on democracy and national security. The approach used is qualitative as data was gathered primarily from secondary sources and analyzed via content and historical analysis. The paper recommends, among other things, the active role of INEC, the people, security and anti-graft agencies and the law in dealing with electoral violence in the country. Key Words: Violence, Election, Electoral Violence, Political Apathy and Democracy. INTRODUCTION The beauty of democracy depends not on the number of registered political parties in a country but rather on the degree of popular participation in the democratic process. In his search for the best form of government, John tuart Mill (1861:340) opined that there is no difficulty in showing that the ideal best form of government is that in which the sovereignty or supreme controlling power in the last resort is vested in the entire aggregate of the community; every citizen not only having a voice in the exercise of that ultimate sovereignty but called on to take an actual part in the government. Taking an actual part in the government does not mean that every citizen will have a portfolio in government house and begin to govern. It implies that every adult, citizen has a compulsory role to play in the choice of who governs either by contesting or by voting credible representatives to form the ruling class. In other words, every citizen must play a part in the democratic process. Robert Dahl (1989:102), argues that effective participation is a criterion for the perfect democratic governance. Voting at elections is one of the easiest ways for citizens to participate in the democratic process. According to Huntington (1991:661), a political system is democratic to the extent that its most powerful collective decision-makers are selected through fair, honest and periodic elections in which candidates freely compete for votes and in which virtually all the adult population is eligible to vote British Journals IN

2 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 156 Unfortunately, the spate of bombings, kidnapping, massive fraud and harassment associated with the electoral process in Nigeria not only tarnish the image of our democracy, they also grossly affect voters interest in politics. Voting, which is an important ingredient of democracy, is thus seen as the business of party supporters and political thugs who are paid peanuts to turn the whole process of election into a violence-packed political jamboree suitable for only fiendish individuals with violent minds. This unfortunate political trend in the country does not encourage popular participation in politics. Many Nigerians now see politics as a dirty game and so believe that active participation in political activities is tantamount to embarking on a journey of no return. The true meaning of politics has been wrongly interpreted by the attitudinal expressions of our politicians who venture into politics not with the mind to serve but to be served. They interpret politics to mean a platform for selfish aggrandizement of wealth and fame. Winning of elections in Nigeria does not depend on the people s choice but on the number of political thugs, cultists, political god-fathers and mothers at the disposal of public office contestants. This ugly scenario has far-reaching implications for our nascent democracy and national security. Refusing to take part in politics does not and will never solve the problem of electoral violence in the country. Instead, an apathetic citizenry will only fan the fire of systematic electoral violence lubricated by systemic corruption. This study thus investigates the dangers inherent in political apathy and recommends full political participation as an antidote to electoral violence in Nigeria. TATEMENT OF PROBLEM This study examines the destabilizing effects of systemic electoral violence and how they influence the degree of citizens participation in the political process in Nigeria. At a workshop on voter apathy organized in Abuja by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 9 th June, 2011, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Commission, noted that Nigerians participation in the electoral process was low, saying that only 35% of the 70 Million registered voters took part in the 2011 general elections (esan, O. 2012). The INEC boss also noted that the low participation in the polls was an indication of political apathy in the country and citizens disinterestedness in the electoral process (Ibid). imilarly, The Nigeria Civil ociety Election ituation Room observed that only 25.6% of the total registered voters actually turned out in the November 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra tate (CNN). In a polling unit in Anambra tate, for instance, 980 people were registered but only 30 persons turned out for the election. This means that 950 voters did not turnout for the election. This development portends serious danger because without sufficient turnout, there can be no true elections that would reflect people s preferences. After all, elections are nothing other than preferences aggregation. A low voter turnout would not be a true reflection of the people s preferences. While a high voter turnout will not only make the result of an election more credible, it will also deter criminals from hijacking or sabotaging the electoral process, guarantee more impartiality and fairness, thereby minimizing electoral violence. The central problem to be investigated in this study therefore is the extent to which the twin problems of electoral violence and political apathy have negatively affected the democratic process in Nigeria and the impending collapse of the nation s nascent democracy if this ugly political trend was not reversed in the 2015 general elections and other future elections in the country. The study also seeks to find answers to the following research questions. 1. Given the euphoria that greeted the nation s return to democratic governance in 1999, what has suddenly made Nigerians politically apathetic fifteen years into the democratic experiment? 2. Why are elections in Nigeria always characterized by violence? 3. To what extent has the apathetic behaviour of majority of Nigerians aided electoral violence in the country? 4. Can Nigeria s democracy be sustained beyond 2015? 2015 British Journals IN

3 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences Will voters turn out in the 2015 general elections in Nigeria? Answers to the above questions will enable the researcher in collating proper assessment and evaluation of the issues raised in the statement of problem. OBJECTIVE OF THE TUDY It has become an open secret that voters in Nigeria have lost confidence in the electoral process due largely to the systemic violence associated with public elections in the country. The general objective of this study therefore is to analyse the impact of electoral violence on political participation and to find out the extent to which the electoral process can be reformed with the view of rebuilding voters confidence in the system, thereby sustaining our fragile democracy beyond Other specific objectives of the study include: 1. To objectively establish any possible relationship between electoral violence and political apathy in order to determine the reasons for low voters turnout for public elections in Nigeria. 2. To undertake a forensic study on past elections in Nigeria so as to be able to produce useful data that could guide stakeholders interventions in electoral administration in Nigeria. 3. The appraisal of the level of voters turnout for public elections will provide scientifically valid information that will enhance free, fair and credible elections not only in 2015 but also in all future elections in Nigeria. 4. To propose a number of new strategies aimed at discouraging electoral violence and promoting increased political participation in the country. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The pertinent issues and thought-providing questions raised in our statement of problem cannot be effectively addressed without a theoretical foundation. The analysis in this paper is therefore fixed into the Elite theoretical framework because issues of elections, political parties and governance are decided, dominated and championed by the elites. The term elite is derived from the French root and it means excellent. The elitist theory is a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships among various interests in contemporary societies. The theory posits that a small group of people consisting mostly of members of the economically dominant class holds the most important power in a society and that this power is independent of a state s democratic electoral process. The basic assumption of the elitist theory is that every society consists of two classes of people, the class that rules (the elite class) and the class that is ruled (the masses or the non-elite class). The Elitist theory of politics was popularized through the different writings of four classical sociologists, viz: Vilfredo Pareto, Gaetano Mosca, Robert Michels and Ortega Gasset (Forbes, 2009). Paterto is known for his theory of circulation of elites in which he theorized that there is an increasing movement of individuals and elites from higher to lower levels and vice versa. In his own work, The Ruling Class, Gaetano Mosca (1930), observes that in all societies two classes of people exist, a class that rules and a class that is ruled. He argues that the elites constitute an organized minority and it is the class that rules while the masses constitute an unorganized majority and it is the class that is ruled. He believes that Oligarchy is the only type of government that had existed in human history. Robert Michels on his own part, argues in his work Political Parties: A ociological tudy of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy (1911), that the iron law of Oligarchy keeps the majority of human beings in a condition of eternal tutelage, thereby submitting themselves to external domination (Obi, Nwachukwu and Obiora, 2008: 32). Michels uses the concept of mass mind to support his theory. He argues that majority of human beings are politically apathetic, indolent, slavish and subservient and are permanently incapable of self-governing. He believes that people who are apathetic 2015 British Journals IN

4 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 158 are susceptible to flattery and are weak in the presence of great strength. The ruling elites take advantage of this to perpetuate themselves in power (Ibid, p.33). To Ortega Gasset, it is the masses that decide who rules and how they are to be ruled. He posits that a nation s greatness depends on the capacity of the people to choose the right type of people to pilot its affairs. Applying the elitist theory of politics to the Nigerian democratic experiment, we now have a situation where the major political parties in the country are controlled by very few individuals who have besieged the available posts and positions in the upper hierarchy of the parties. These few influential, wealthy and powerful individuals who are in the minority make all the decisions and put their interests first before the interests of the majority. They are the elites. They constitute the governing minority which monopolizes political power and does everything possible to retain it. Electoral protocols could be broken just to satisfy the interests of these elites. They employ every means available including rigging of elections and sponsoring violence to retain political power which is the surest access to economic power in Nigeria. IGNIFICANCE OF THE TUDY Electoral violence and political apathy are far greater threats to national security than even the dreaded Boko-haram insurgency. This is so because while Boko-haram embarks on a hit and run stragey and localizes its operations within the North Eastern part of the country, electoral violence and systemic corruption have dangerously entangled the very fabric of the Nigerian tate. More disturbing is the fact this electoral violence (which sows the seed of political apathy) is nurtured and perpetrated by the ruling elites, political gladiators and their cohorts with little or no public concern. This study is therefore significant in the sense that it aims at exposing not only the causes and consequences of electoral violence but also at presenting a forensic analysis on selected past and current elections so as to produce referenceable data not only in the academic world but also for election administrators in Nigeria. CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW Violence: The word Violence is politically and emotionally charged and this makes a single acceptable definition of the concept seemingly impossible. However, definitions are necessary in order to establish ground rules for discussion. Violence, as defined in the lexicon of human geography, appears whenever power is in jeopardy. It is part of a larger matrix of socio-political power struggles. It is simply defined as an unjust exercise of power aimed at causing apprehension, bodily harm, desecration or even death. According to Kolawole (1988:125), the term violence is defined as the illegitimate or unauthorized use of force to effect decisions against the will of others. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as the intentional use of Physical force or power, threatened or actual against oneself, another person or against a group or community which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation (Krug et al, 2002: 149). Frantz Fanon, on his own part, defines violence as compelling demands against one s will with threat of using force (Jinadu, 1980:46). He also offers a three-fold categorization of violence into physical, structural and psychological violence. Physical violence, according to him, involves somatic injury inflicted on human beings. The Killing of an individual is a good example of physical violence. tructural violence is a condition of social injustice while psychological violence is injury or harm done to the human psyche including brainwashing, indoctrination of various kinds and threats (Ibid). Violence can equally be categorized into self-directed violence e.g suicide and self-abuse, interpersonal violence e.g violence committed by family members and intimate partners and collective 2015 British Journals IN

5 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 159 violence which is violence committed by larger groups of individuals, states or political leaders. It is subdivided into social, political and economic violence. The Nigerian nascent democracy has, without any shadow of doubt, become engulfed by the different topologies of violence discussed above. Violence has become the only weapon used by those in power and those seeking power in Nigeria. To Anifowose (1982:1), Violence has become something that is used by group seeking power, by groups holding power and by groups in the process of losing power. ELECTORAL VIOLENCE: Electoral violence is any harm or threat of harm to any person or property involved in the electoral process or to the electoral process itself during election periods. Nwolise (2007:159), defines electoral violence as all forms of organized acts of threats physical, psychological and structural aimed at intimidating, harming and blackmailing a political stakeholder before, during and after an election with a view to determining, delaying or otherwise influencing an electoral process. Electoral violence thus constitutes any threat, intimidation or assault intentionally committed to mar the electoral process. By the electoral process, I mean the process created legally for the conduct of elections in a democracy which enables a free, fair, just and equitable determination of who leads (rules) in a country. Any action that hinders the electoral process from producing a free, fair and credible election constitutes electoral violence. According to Amadu Kurfi (2005:101), rigging and the manipulation of the electoral process to the advantage of a particular candidate or political party, perpetrated at any level of the electoral process from the delimitation of the constituencies to the adjudication of election disputes constitute electoral violence. For Umar (2003), in the realm of politics, electoral violence is the worst form of political violence because it undermines a democratic process and endangers the security of the state and the stability of the economy. For the purpose of clarity, electoral violence is categorized into three according to the Fanonic three dimensions of violence as shown in the table below. Manifestations of Physical Electoral Violence 1 Assault on individuals during campaigns, rallies and elections 2 Assassination of political opponents or people perceived as threat to one s political ambition. 3 Burning down of public buildings or cars. 4 Kidnapping and hostage taking 5 Illegal arrests and forceful dispersal of political gatherings. 6 Destruction of ballot boxes and ballot papers 7 Armed raids on voting and collation centres 8 Free-for-all-fights. Manifestations of Psychological Electoral Violence 1 Fear resulting from political assassinations which makes people scared to participate in politics or elections 2 Publication or broadcast of abusive, insulting or intimidating material or advertorials 3 Threat to life through intimidating phone calls or text messages. 4 Brainwashing of voters and influencing them to vote against their conscience. 5 Deliberate causing of panic at voting centres to intimidate voters. Manifestations of tructural Electoral Violence 1 Creation of unequal opportunities for political parties and candidates 2 Partisan delimitation of electoral constituencies and location of pooling booths. 3 Excessive or exorbitant fees for collection of party nomination forms to discourage the poor from contesting public elections. 4 Enacting of exclusionary acts and policies 5 The use of the power of incumbency to influence the smooth conduct of elections 2015 British Journals IN

6 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 160 EVIDENCE OF PHYICAL POLITICAL HIGH-PROFILE VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA DATE OF INCIDEN CE NAME OF VICTIM TATU OF VICTIM NATURE OF VIOLENCE TATE OF ORIGIN OURCE 27/7/2006 Engr. Funsho Williams PDP governorship Murdered by aspirant in Lagos political enemies tate Murdered by political enemies 14/8/2006 Mr.Ayo Daramola Former World Bank Consultant and PDP aspirant in Ekiti 14/9/2007 egun Awunesi Former Chief ecurity officer to Olusegun Agagu (Ondo tate Governor) 2008 Engr. Eman Ekpenyong PDP talwart Murdered by Political enemies Murdered in his business premises Lagos tate Ekiti state Ondo tate Akwa Ibom The Punch 13/4/2013 The Nigerian Observer 2008 Mr. Mathias Ekpenyong PDP talwart 1/2/2009 Elder Nse Ikpe PDP talwart in Uyo Kidnapped Akwa Ibom 21/11/2009 Charles Nsiegbe Tested Politician and political associate of Governor Ameachi of Rivers tate hot dead in the street of Port Harcourt Rives tate The Punch 23/8/2009 Chibuize Idah PDP member Murdered Ebonyi tate Ogbonna Odimbaire Ifeanyi 25/1/2010 Otunba Dipo Dina AC Governorship Murdered in Ogun tate NAN Aspirant in 2007 cold blood 2010 Ayo Omorogbe ACN (APC) Chieftain Murdered in cold blood Edo tate The Punch 19/3/2013 Dr. Chuddy Nwike National Vice- Chairman of the Kidnapped and later murdered Anambra tate ACN (APC) and a along side two former 1 st Deputy others Governor of Anambra tate 2013 Mr. Foluso Ogundara Ardent supporter of Opeyemi Bamidele, a Murdered at a meeting of Bamidele s Ekiti tate 2015 British Journals IN

7 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 161 governorship Aspirant in Ekiti tate support group RIK AND VIOLENCE FACTOR TOWARD THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION According to the CLEEN Foundations, (a non-governmental organization that promotes public safety, security and access to justice), electoral violence is most likely to occur in 15 Nigerian states during the forth coming 2015 general elections. The organization in its report titled Third ecurity Threat Assessment listed 15 out of the 36 tates in Nigeria as most volatile and susceptible to electoral violence during the forthcoming 2015 general elections (Premium Times, April 10, 2014). I1 of the tates are Midvolatile while 10 are low-volatile tates. /N0 HIGH RIK TATE MID-VOLATILE TATE LOW-VOLATILE TATE 1 NAARAWA KOGI LAGO 2 PLATEAU NIGER ONDO 3 BENUE BAUCHI BAYELA 4 BORNO GOMBE OYO 5 YOBE KATINA CRO RIVER 6 ADAMAWA OKOTO EDO 7 TARABA KANO JIGAWA 8 KADUNA ABIA KEBBI 9 ZAMFRA ANAMBRA KWARA 10 RIVER DELTA OGUN 11 EBONYI AKWA IBOM 12 ENUGU 13 IMO 14 EKITI 15 OUN ource: Premium Times, April 10, Three of the above high risk states-adamawa, Yobe and Borno are already under emergency rule due to the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram Group. The Foundation also listed some of the Parameters or social indicators used in making the above categorizations to include: 1. History of violence in the state. 2. Degree of control by incumbent governors and relationship with the Federal government. 3. tability of internal state party politics. 4. Existence of terrorists and militants in the state. 5. The degree of communal and religious conflict in the state. 6. Ambition for second term in office or higher political positions by incumbent governors. 7. Jostle for Federal and tate legislative positions. 8. The proliferation of arms and increased activities by armed groups within the state (Ibid). POLITICAL APATHY: Apathy is the mental state of not caring much about something or about anything at all. It is the suppression of passion, emotion or excitement for something. We have political 2015 British Journals IN

8 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 162 apathy, religious apathy, cultural apathy, etc. We are concerned mainly with political apathy in this discussion. Political apathy is defined as the lack of interest in taking active part in matters of politics either by voting or being voted for or having no share in political activities. Political apathy is expressed and measured by the degree of political phobia and non-participation in political activities in a country. According to Festus Emiri (2010), a brief reflection on our historical antecedents would show clearly that the choice of rulership or leadership in the entity called Nigeria has never been by popular will. It has always been by some imposition. This scenario has led to a paradoxical situation in which more Nigerians clamour for democracy and at the same time shun political activities such as participation in elections, contributing to public opinions, joining of political parties etc. REAON FOR R APATHY IN NIGERIA 1. The belief that vote does not count in Nigeria: Many people dislike voting in elections in Nigeria because of the negative belief that votes do not count in the country. 2. Lack of trust in corrupt politicians: Many people have lost trust and faith in government and the so-called elected politicians. Many believe that Nigerian politicians will say anything to get elected but once in office, they quickly turn their back on those who put them there. 3. Absence of ecurity at voting centres. 4. The use of thugs, cultists, criminals and militants to intimidate political opponents. 5. Hyper-critical negative media: Negative political news coverage and political criticisms, which in most cases are not always constructive, create cynicism in many Nigerians. Thus, voters are at times over-fed with falsehood and frightening image of the political environment. 6. Illiteracy and poverty: Illiteracy and poverty are two powerful forces which militate against political participation in Nigeria. Victims of these forces have little or no interest in political activities. 7. Failure of elected political office holders to honour electioneering promises and the imposition of candidates on voters by political parties. Political Apathy in Nigeria is therefore the upshot of the above reasons within the context of the various dimensions of electoral violence discussed above. In other words, the continuous uprising and bedeviling terror associated with our electoral system affects the rate of voter s turnout in public elections in Nigeria. MEAUREMENT OF POLITICAL APATHY IN NIGERIA Political apathy in a country can be measured by considering the nature of political culture in that country. By political culture, I mean the behavioural disposition of the citizens towards the government of the day vis-à-vis every other political activity in the country. Political apathy is thus measured in a given culture by the amount of the citizens involvement in political activities such as voting for eligible candidates during elections periods, joining of registered political parties, contesting for elective positions, participating in voter s registration exercises, participation in political rallies, canvassing for votes, and showing interest in political discussions. Political apathy can be seen to some degree in every society, be it in the developed world or the developing countries, but the degree to which it prevails differs between countries. In the U.., political apathy is still a problem but it is not as high as we have in Nigeria. For a democracy to be strengthened, there must be a high level of political awareness with genuine interest in political activities on the part of the citizens. Unfortunately, the intensity of electoral violence and fraud in Nigeria has left the task of nation-building entrusted to the care of political plunders, social marauders, opportunistic piccaninnies 2015 British Journals IN

9 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 163 and corrupt, over-ambitious politicians who ordinarily would not have gotten close to the corridors of power had there been popular participation and high voters turnout in public elections. RELATIONHIP BETWEEN ELECTORAL VIOLENCE AND R APATHY IN NIGERIA The turnout of voters for the 2007 and 2011 general elections as well was those for the gubernatorial elections in Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun tates will be used to measure the relationship between electoral violence and voters apathy in the country. THE 2007 GENERAL ELECTION: The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14 th April and 21 st April, 2007 respectively. The Governorship and tate assembly elections were held on 14 th April, 2007 while the presidential and national Assembly elections were held on 21 st April, Over 30 political parties out of about 55 registered political parties participated in the 2007 general elections. According to the official INEC Results 2007 Website, the total Voting Age Population (VAP) in 2007 was 131,859,731. Out of this figure, 61,567,036 people registered to vote in the elections. Regrettably, only 35,397,517 voters actually turned out to vote. The implication is that more than 70 million eligible voters refused to register while 26,169,519 of registered voters did not turnout for the election. This further implies that only about 35 million people participated in the process that brought in a set of leaders to pilot the affairs of close to 170 million Nigerians. The total percentage of voters turnout for the 2007 general elections stood at 32%. The table below speaks better. R TURNOUT IN THE 2007 PREIDENTIAL ELECTION /N CONTETING CANDIDATE PART Y AFFIL IA- TION TOTAL REGITE RED R 2015 British Journals IN R TURNO UT % OF R TURNO UT TOTAL VOTING AGE POP % OF 1 UNAR MUA YAR ADUA PDP 61,567, ,397, ,638, ,859, % 2 MUHAMADU ANPP 6,605, BUHARI % 3 ATIKU AC 2,637, % ABUBAKAR 4 ORJI UZOR PPA 608, % KALU 5 ATTAHIRU DPP 289, % BAFARAWA PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT IN 2007 GENERAL ELECTION = 32% OURCE: INEC RMK Elect ed OPINION POLL ON THE 2007 GENERAL ELECTION The 2007 general elections in Nigeria were deeply flawed. This assessment is based on World Public opinion poll from local and international observers, Monitoring Groups, Human Rights Watch, African Election Database website, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), CNN and BBC News. Poll from everal Nigerian Organizations like the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), the Catholic Justice (CJ), Development and Peace Committee (DPC), etc also aided our

10 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 164 assessment of the 2007 general elections. International Observers and these monitoring groups scored the 2007 General elections very low, arguing that it was characterized by violence and fraud and was therefore not credible, free and fair. Max Van den Berg, Chief European Union Observer, reported that the handling of the polls had fallen far short of basic international standards, and that the process cannot be considered to be credible, citing poor election organization, lack of transparency, significant evidence of fraud, voter disenfranchisement, violence and bias (Tom Ashby, 2007). Other election observers from the European Union described the elections as the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the World, with rampant vote rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation (CNN, 3 rd April, 2011). Another group of observers said that at one polling station in Yenegoa, in the oil-rich outh, where 500 people were registered to vote, more than 2,000 votes were counted (BBC news, 27 th April, 2007). The implication is that about 1,500 ghost voters voted at that polling centre. On his own part, Felix Alaba Job, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference, observed that massive fraud and disorganization including passing result sheets to politicians who simply filled in numbers as they chose while bribed returning electoral officers looked away, were the main features of the 2007 general elections. A spokesman for the United tates Department of tate observed that the 2007 election polls were grossly flawed while Nii Moi Thompson, a prominent Ghanain economist observed that the outcome of the 2007 election polls showed that Nigeria is a failed giant. He compared the elections to those of Liberia in 2005, arguing that even Liberia which is coming out of war had more credible election than Nigeria (Pascal Hetcher, 2007). In addition, Human Rights watch issued a report which argued that at least one hundred people were killed as a result of the political violence that accompanied the 2007 election polls. The Voters turnout pattern at the national level as appraised above was the mirror image of what transpired at the state and local government levels throughout the country. It is therefore evident from the above data that voters turnout for the 2007 general elections was very low consequent upon the violence and blatant lack of credibility that characterized the elections. THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTION: The Presidential election, National Assembly elections, gubernatorial and state Assembly elections conducted in April 2011 were clear demonstrations that despite the clamour for democratic governance, majority of Nigerians were still politically apathetic. The elections started with the National Assembly (enatorial and House of Representatives) elections on April 9, followed by the Presidential elections on April 16 and gubernatorial elections on April 26, According to John A. A. and Adeoye A. A. eds (2012), ixty-three political parties were officially registered but only twenty one fielded candidates for the 2011 polls. The total voting Age Population (VAP) in 2011 was 155,215,573. Total voters registration stood at 73,528,040 while 39,469,484 voters actually turned out to vote with 1,259,506 invalid votes (official INEC Results 2011 website). By these results, 34,058,556 registered voters did not turn out for the 16 th April, 2011 general elections. The percentage of voters turnout in the April, 2011 polls stood at 35% British Journals IN

11 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 165 R TURNOUT IN THE APRIL, 2011 PREIDENTIAL ELECTION /N CONTETING CANDIDATE 1 GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN 2 MUHAMADU BUHARI PART Y AFFIL IA- TION TOTAL REGITE RED R PDP 73,528, British Journals IN R TURNO UT 39, % OF R TURNO UT TOTAL ,495,18 7 VOTING AGE POP % OF RMK 155,215, % Elected CPC 12,214, % 3 NUHU RIBADU ACN 2,079, % 4 IBRAHIM HEKARAU ANPP 917, % 5 MAHMUD WAZIRI PDC 82, % PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT = 35% OURCE: INEC OPINION POLL ON THE APRIL, 2011 GENERAL ELECTION Many local and International election observers believed that there was significant improvement in the conduct of the April 16, 2011 general elections, although with low voters turnout due basically to a number of irregularities and electoral violence. According to Nossiter Adam (April 24 th, 2011), the United tates Department of tate observed that the 2011 election was successful and a substantial improvement over the 2007 polls. It, however, added that vote rigging, underage voting and snatching of ballot boxes also took place (Ibid). The Chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), Mr. Alojz Peterle, observed that overall the 2011 elections marked an important improvement compared to all polls observed previously by the European Union in Nigeria. However, shortcomings were noticed and elements identified which need to be enhanced, added Peterle (Relief-Web, May 31, 2011) This conclusion from Peterle was the ummary of the observations from 141 observers drawn from 27 EU member states as well as from Norway and witzerland to monitor the April, 2011 polls in Nigeria (CNN 2011 Election Watch Nigeria). In their various reports, the Project wift Count 2011, a group made up of Federation of Muslim Women Association (FOMWAN), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) observed that the Nigerian voting populace was provided with opportunity to exercise their franchise and in general their votes were counted. The April general elections were conducted within the framework of and conformed to the Nigerian constitution, the ECOWA Protocols on Democracy and Good Governance and the African Union (AU) Declaration on the principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (African Election Database, accessed June, 2014). The reports of other observer groups such as the Commonwealth International Democratic Institute (NDI) AU, ECOWA and International Republican Institute (IRI), were not markedly different from the above. In sum, while the 2011 general elections were not perfect, they marked a departure from the flawed and soured elections that Nigeria had experienced in the first twelve years of her democratic

12 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 166 experiment. Voters turnout moved from 31% in 2007 to 35% in The low turnout was due to both pre and post-election violence. In December 2010, boobs went off in many parts of Nigeria, particularly in Yenagoa, Bayelsa tate during a gubernatorial campaign rally. The elections also sparked riots in Northern Nigeria and in the following months up to 1,000 people were alleged to have died in post election violence (NAN). In its May 16, 2011 Report, Human Rights Watch claimed that 800 lives were lost and property worth billions of naira destroyed in the post election violence that followed the 2011 general elections (Nossiter, A., 2011). This Kind of violence can never encourage full political participation in Nigeria. ONDO TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 20 TH OCTOBER, 2012 Thirteen political parties fielded candidates for the Ondo tate gubernatorial election which was conducted by INEC on aturday 20 th October, 2012 to cover the 18 local government Areas of the tate. However, the election was between three leading parties symbolized by three flag-bearers Akeredolu Rotimi of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN now APC), Olusegun Miniko of Labour Party (LP) (The then incumbent governor of the tate) and Olusola Oke of the People Democratic Party (PDP) (Masterweb Reports, Oct. 26, 2012). A total of 1,638,950 voters were registered by INEC out of which only 645,594 voters were accredited. A total of 624,659 voters turned out for the election. 594,244 votes were considered valid while 30,415 votes were invalid and so cancelled. R TURNOUT IN THE OCT. 20, 2012 ONDO TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION /N CONTETING RM CANDIDATE K PART Y AFFIL IA- TION TOTAL REGITE RED R ACCRE DITED R R TURNO UT VALI D INVA LID TOTA L % OF 1 EGUN LP 1,638, , , ,24 30,415 44% MIKIKO 4 260,197 Elected 2 OLUOLA PDP 155,961 26% OKE 3 ROTIMI OKEREDOLU ACN/AP C 143,512 24% PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT = 39% NB: Party votes divided by total valid votes x 100 = percentage score OURCE: AHARA REPORTER, NEW YORK From the above data, over 60% of registered voters in Ondo tate did not turnout for the October, 2012 gubernatorial election conducted by INEC in the tate. ANAMBRA TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 16 TH AND 30 TH NOVEMBER, 2013 The Anambra tate gubernatorial election was conducted by INEC on 16 th November, Due to unquestionable challenges, the commission also conducted a supplementary election in 16 Local Government Areas of the tate on 30 th November, 2013 (Premium Times, Nov. 30, 2013). Twenty-three (23) political parties fielded candidates for the election which witnessed some noticeable irregularities. The Nigeria Civil ociety Election ituation Room observed that the upplementary governorship election conducted in 16 Local Government Areas in Anambra tate on November 30, 2013 was peaceful but it witnessed low voter turnout British Journals IN

13 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 167 Out of the 23 participating political parties in the poll, only four are Primus inter pares. The highly charged, tensed and contentious atmosphere in which the parties conducted their electoral campaigns and the bitter rivalry, accusations and counter accusations among the contesting candidates led to a situation where the electorates envisaged violence and this resulted in a very poor voters turnout in the poll. The tragic November 2, 2013 Holy Ghost Adoration Crusade tampede at Uke, Anambra tate which resulted to the unfortunate death of about 30 worshippers was enough an evidence to keep registered voters in their houses on the election Day proper (Orechukwu, 2013). Consequently, a total of 1,763,751 voters were duly registered by INEC out of which only 451,826 voters were accredited. Total Voters turnout stood at 429,549 with 413,005 valid votes and 16,544 invalid votes. The table below speaks better. R TURNOUT IN THE NOVEMBER, 2013 ANAMBRA TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION /N CANDIDATE PART Y AFFIL IA- TION TOTAL REGITE RED R ACCRE DITED R R TURNO UT VALI D INVA LID TOTA L % OF 1 WILLY OBIANO APGA 1,763, , , , , ,710 42% Electe d 2 TONY PDP 94, % NWOYE 3 CHRI NGIGI APC 92,300 22% 4 IFEANYI LP 37, % UBAH PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT = 26% OURCE: AHARA REPORTER EKITI TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 21 T JUNE, political parties fielded candidates for the Ekiti tate gubernatorial election conducted by INEC on 21 st June, The contest was, however, perceived as mostly between three political parties PDP, APC and LP. The election was conducted amidst very high concerns for security, given the history of election-related violence in the state and the level of violence that had characterized the campaign process. The 2,195 polling unites across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state were heavily protected with the deployment of security personnel (ahara reporters, June 24, 2014). International Observers agreed that Ekiti tate witnessed a massive turnout of voters in the just concluded gubernatorial election. The high turnout of voters in Ekiti tate served as a litmus test to show that voters apathy declines as electoral violence declines and vice versa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observes that voters turnout in the Ekiti polls was impressive. According to Ayoola, P. (June 21, 2014), the elderly and people in crutches also turned out to cast their votes without being harassed. The Ekiti tate Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations in the tate, Ikechukwu Aduba, observed that there was no recorded form of violence in all the 16 local government areas of the state. The percentage of voters turnout increased significantly to 50.32% as shown in the table below: RM K 2015 British Journals IN

14 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 168 EKITI TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 21 T JUNE, 2014 /N CANDIDATE PARTY AFFILI ATION TOTAL REGITE RED R ACCRE DITED R R TURNO UT VALI D INVA LID TOTA L % OF 1 AYODELE APC 733, , , ,36 10, ,090 58% Electe FAYOE 6 d 2 KAYODE FAYEMI PDP 120,433 34% 3 OPEYEMI LP 18,135 5% BAMIDELE PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT = 50% OURCE: EXTRACTED FROM INEC OFFICIAL REULT WEBITE OUN TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 9 TH AUGUT, Political parties fielded candidates for the Osun tate gubernatorial election which INEC conducted on 9 th August, The election witnessed impressive turnout of voters amidst tight security in all the 30 local government areas of the state. Osun Defender (August 10, 2014), claimed that there was no reported case of gross electoral violence before, during or after the August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election in Osun tate. Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press ecretary to INEC Chairman, observed that available facts showed that the Osun governorship election was successful. He made this declaration in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. In his words, from all indications, the election has been successful even from the comments from virtually all stakeholders politicians observers and others (The Nigerian Pilot, August 10, 2014). A total of 1,411,373 voters registered for the election. Out of this figure, 764,582 voters were accredited by INEC. Total voters turnout in the election was 750,021 with the percentage of voters turnout rising above average to 54.17%. R TURNOUT IN THE AUGUT 9, 2014 OUN TATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION /N CANDIDATE PARTY % OF RM AFFILI ATION K TOTAL REGITE RED R ACCRE DITED R R TURNO UT VALI D INVA LID 1 RAUF AREGBEOLA 2 IYIOLA OMIORE 3 FATAI AKINBADE PERCENTAGE OF R TURNOUT = 54% OURCE: EXTRACTED FROM INEC OFFICIAL REULT WEBITE TOTA L RM K APC 1,411, , , , , ,684 55% Electe d PDP 292,747 40% LP 8, % 2015 British Journals IN

15 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 169 A frequency distribution of the above yearly percentage voters turnout is represented in the table below: /N EVENT COUNTRY/ MONTH/ FREQUENCY RMK TATE YEAR (% TURNOUT) 1 Presidential Election Nigeria April, % Low 2 Presidential Election Nigeria April, % Low 3 Gubernatorial Election Ondo Oct % Low 4 Gubernatorial Election Anambra Nov % V.low 5 Gubernatorial Election Ekiti June, % Good 6 Gubernatorial Election Osun Aug % Good A frequency distribution table of voters Turnout The above data can be graphically represented as shown below: % 54% % 35% 39% 26% 20 Bar graph plotted based on percentage of voters turnout UMMARY OF FINDING/CONCLUION From the above data, Anambra tate recorded the lowest Voters turnout in her last gubernatorial election conducted by INEC in November, The reason for this is that the contesting parties/candidates applied the Obasanjonian do or die approach before, during and after the election. Out of 1,763,751 registered voters, only 429,549 turned out for the election. This means that 1,334,202 voters did not turnout as a result of fear of intimidation and electoral irregularities. imilarly, the general elections of April, 2007 also recorded low voters turnout because it was characterized by violence, lack of credibility and effective electoral organization. Conversely, voters turnout in the Ekiti gubernatorial election of June, 2014 was relatively impressive because it was conducted admidst very high concerns for security given the deployment of security personnel to the state by the federal government. Voters felt protected as more than half of the total number of those that registered turned-out to vote. In the same vein, the Osun tate gubernatorial election of 9 th August, 2014 also witnessed massive voters turnout because electoral violence was significantly checkmated by the presence of armed security personnel who mounted tight security throughout the 30 local government areas of the state within the election period British Journals IN

16 British Journal of Humanities and ocial ciences 170 It is therefore obvious that voters apathy declines with reduced electoral violence and rises with increased transparency, credibility and security. UGGETED TRATEGIE FOR CURBING ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA Voter apathy is a product of electoral violence and it negatively impacts upon the electoral process and its outcome. There is, therefore, the urgent need to embark on serious holistic electoral reforms that will bring about free, fair and credible elections to stimulate popular participation in the electoral process. As INEC prepares for the 2015 general elections, it must study the nature, causes, dimensions and consequences of political apathy within the context of Nigeria s nascent democracy. The task of trying to deepen democracy in a country that is staggering out of a long history of authoritarian military rule requires the mobilization of people for popular participation and effective engagement in the electoral process. In doing this, people s perceptions and attitudes have to be studied, analysed, understood and given priority in the scheme of things. The following new strategies are therefore recommended: 1. Activation of Electoral Laws: All electoral laws in the country must be activated with immediate effect. Nigeria does not need a National Conference to deliberate on new Electoral Act. There are in existence beautiful world-class electoral laws which speak only on paper and are never implemented. If all the prohibited conducts which impinge on the electoral process are effectively checkmated by relevant bodies with relevant electoral laws, electoral violence will be a thing of the past and political apathy will decline considerably. 2. The active role of the people in fighting electoral violence: The fight against electoral violence will remain an exercise in futility unless the people (the class that is governed the masses) are sincerely determined to resist the temptation of being used to perpetrate violence by the class that rules the ruling elites (politicians). This is so because refusal to resist violence is an indirect way of inviting the ugly consequences of violence. When eligible voters, including those who have been duly registered, refuse to turnout on election days for fear of being intimidated or molested by hired hoodlums and thugs, they end up perpetrating the same violence they detest so much. In the November, 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra tate, for instance, only about 26% of voters turned-out to decide the fate of over 3 million people in the state. In some polling centres, ghost voters were recruited by party agents to swell up their figures. Cases like this abound because the people have refused to play active role in fighting the menace of electoral violence. 3. Incumbent political office holders should resign before contesting elections: Incumbent political office holders should not be allowed to re-contest for political positions without resignation. The power of incumbency has introduced phrases like carry go, do or die mandatory second term etc into the body-politik of the nation. Why should winning election be a do or die affair? What makes a second term in office mandatory? Is there any justification to spend billions of naira on the conduct of elections in a country where the incumbents must carry go? Answers to these questions should decide whether incumbent political office holders should re-contest elections without resignation. 4. Deployment of trained security personnel to election venues: The Nigerian political climate demands the presence of security operatives at all election venues to prevent the rebirth of systemic electoral violence which may be manipulated by desperate politicians. The Ekiti and Osun tates elections have proved beyond every reasonable doubt that Nigerian voters need enough security for them to participate in the electoral process. The two states recorded impressive voters turnout because of the presence of tight security provided by trained security operatives. Many see this as militarization of election which is not done in America, Britain, outh Africa or elsewhere. Those who argue along this line do not know or perhaps, pretend not to know the electoral history of this country. For voters to come out for elections in this era of 2015 British Journals IN

Nigeria 2015 Presidential Election Results April 2015

Nigeria 2015 Presidential Election Results April 2015 Accra Conakry Dar es Salaam Harare Johannesburg Lagos London Nairobi Perth Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Nigeria 2015 Presidential Election Results April 2015 02 Winds of Change in Nigeria Nigeria s long awaited

More information

Accra Conakry Dar es Salaam Harare Johannesburg Lagos London Nairobi Perth. Nigeria Election Watch Update April 2015

Accra Conakry Dar es Salaam Harare Johannesburg Lagos London Nairobi Perth. Nigeria Election Watch Update April 2015 Accra Conakry Dar es Salaam Harare Johannesburg Lagos London Nairobi Perth Nigeria Election Watch Update April 2015 02 Nigeria s new ruling party: opposition APC emerges overall winner in 2015 Elections

More information

Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA

Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA 1 of 4 Public Release events 22nd/May/13, Lagos, Nigeria www.nationalpartner.org 1 What is the Afrobarometer? The Afrobarometer (AB) is a comparative

More information

I. SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I. SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER DELEGATION TO NIGERIA S APRIL 21 PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS Abuja, April 23, 2007 This statement is

More information

Some of these scenarios might play out during elections. Before the Elections

Some of these scenarios might play out during elections. Before the Elections Nigeria Elections and Violence: National Level Scenarios It is acknowledged that below scenarios represent partial analysis and only some of the scenarios that may come to pass. Indeed, this is not an

More information

NIGERIA WATCH PROJECT

NIGERIA WATCH PROJECT NIGERIA WATCH PROJECT Volume 1 www.nigeriawatch.org Newsletter No 4, Sept-Dec, 214 IN THIS ISSUE Editorial 1 Quarterly trend analysis 2 o General Trends 2-5 o Causes of Violence 6 o The Boko Haram Insurgency

More information

Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA

Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA Results from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey in NIGERIA 3 of 4 Public Release events 5 th August, 2013 Lagos, Nigeria www.nationalpartner.org 1 What is the Afrobarometer? The Afrobarometer (AB) is a comparative

More information

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT. Important step towards strengthening democratic elections, but challenges remain. Abuja, 18 April 2011

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT. Important step towards strengthening democratic elections, but challenges remain. Abuja, 18 April 2011 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Important step towards strengthening democratic elections, but challenges remain Abuja, 18 April 2011 The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) is present in Nigeria

More information

PROJECT 2011 SWIFTCOUNT

PROJECT 2011 SWIFTCOUNT National Steering Committee Members DafeAkpedeye (SAN) 1 st Co-Chair MashoodErubami 2 nd Co-Chair Dr. Aisha Akanbi Rev. Fr. ZachariaSamjumi Priscilla Achakpa Rev. Fr. BernardAsogo Reuben James Farida Sada

More information

FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION ESTABLISHMENT ACT

FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION ESTABLISHMENT ACT FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION ESTABLISHMENT ACT ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I Establishment and functions, etc., of the Federal Character Commission 1. Establishment of the Federal Character Commission,

More information

ADRA NIGERIA Statement of Operational Intent: Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast. Adventist Development and Relief Agency International

ADRA NIGERIA Statement of Operational Intent: Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast. Adventist Development and Relief Agency International Adventist Development and Relief Agency International ADRA NIGERIA Statement of Operational Intent: Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast August 2017 August 2018 The Adventist Development and Relief Agency

More information

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART III

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART III ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I Establishment and functions, etc., of the Federal Character Commission SECTION 1. Establishment of the Federal Character Commission, etc. 2. Membership of the Commission.

More information

PROJECT SWIFT COUNT. Statement on the Ondo State Governorship Election Held 20 October Summary

PROJECT SWIFT COUNT. Statement on the Ondo State Governorship Election Held 20 October Summary PROJECT SWIFT COUNT Statement on the Ondo State Governorship Election Held 20 October 2012 National Steering Committee Members Dafe Akpedeye (SAN) 1 st Co-Chair Ibrahim Zikirullahi 2 nd Co-Chair Dr. Aisha

More information

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND THE CONDUCT OF 2011 ELECTION IN NIGERIA: A PARADIGM SHIFT

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND THE CONDUCT OF 2011 ELECTION IN NIGERIA: A PARADIGM SHIFT INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND THE CONDUCT OF 2011 ELECTION IN NIGERIA: A PARADIGM SHIFT Alabi Abdulahi Department of Political Science, Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria Sakariyau

More information

ACP-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

ACP-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ACP-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 1 on the situation in Nigeria with regard to security The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, meeting in Horsens (Denmark) from 28-30 May 2012, having regard

More information

Electoral Process and Good Governance: The Nigerian Challenge 2015

Electoral Process and Good Governance: The Nigerian Challenge 2015 http:www.internationalpolicybrief.org/journals/international-scientific-research-consortium-journals INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN HUMANITIES, MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL Electoral Process

More information

Violence Affecting Women and Girls in the Eight NSRP Target States

Violence Affecting Women and Girls in the Eight NSRP Target States Violence Affecting Women and Girls in the Eight NSRP Target States Quarterly Report 4 February April 215 July 9, 215 The following report summarizes the main findings as detailed in three memos produced

More information

PREO #1 PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATION EKITI 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

PREO #1 PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATION EKITI 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION #1 PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATION EKITI 2018 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION KEY FINDINGS FROM REPORTING PERIOD ONE SUMMARY FINDINGS YIAGA AFRICA in conducting a comprehensive, long-term pre-election observation of Ekiti

More information

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA: A PROGNOSIS

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA: A PROGNOSIS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA: A PROGNOSIS IDIKE, ADELINE NNENNA. (Ph.D) DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA ABSTRACT The

More information

Nigeria heads for closest election on record

Nigeria heads for closest election on record Dispatch No. 11 27 January 215 Nigeria heads for closest election on record Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 11 Nengak Daniel, Raphael Mbaegbu, and Peter Lewis Summary Nigerians will go to the polls on 14 February

More information

Nigeria's central electoral body accuses Army of disrupting elections in Nigeria's Niger Delta

Nigeria's central electoral body accuses Army of disrupting elections in Nigeria's Niger Delta Abuja, Nigeria, March 17 (Infosplusgabon) Nigeria s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday accused the Nigerian Army and armed gangs of disrupting the March 9 governorship and State

More information

Zimbabwe United Nations Universal Periodic Review, Stakeholders report submitted by. Zimbabwe Election Support Network (14 March 2011)

Zimbabwe United Nations Universal Periodic Review, Stakeholders report submitted by. Zimbabwe Election Support Network (14 March 2011) Zimbabwe United Nations Universal Periodic Review, 2011 Stakeholders report submitted by Zimbabwe Election Support Network (14 March 2011) Elections The Right to participate genuine periodic elections

More information

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Arrangement of sections Chapter I General Provisions Part I Federal Republic of Nigeria 1. Supremacy of constitution. 2 The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

More information

IFES PRE-ELECTION SURVEY IN NIGERIA 2014

IFES PRE-ELECTION SURVEY IN NIGERIA 2014 IFES PRE-ELECTION SURVEY IN NIGERIA 2014 January 2015 This publication was produced by IFES for the U.S. Agency for International Development concerning Cooperative Agreement Number AID-620-A-14-00002.

More information

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION ON THE 2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN NIGERIA 16 APRIL 2011

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION ON THE 2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN NIGERIA 16 APRIL 2011 AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone : 251-11-5517700 Fax : 251-11-5517844 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION ON THE 2011

More information

PROJECT 2011 SWIFTCOUNT

PROJECT 2011 SWIFTCOUNT National Steering Committee Members Dafe Akpedeye (SAN) 1 st Co-Chair Mashood Erubami 2 nd Co-Chair Dr. Aisha Akanbi Rev. Fr. Zacharia Samjumi Priscilla Achakpa Rev. Fr. Bernard Asogo Reuben James Farida

More information

Elite Capture, Institutional Performance and the 2015 National Electoral Outcomes in Nigeria

Elite Capture, Institutional Performance and the 2015 National Electoral Outcomes in Nigeria Elite Capture, Institutional Performance and the 2015 National Electoral Outcomes in Nigeria Dung Pam Sha PhD Professor of Political Economy and Development Studies Office of Research and Development University

More information

Cooperation of CSOs and the Media in the. Preparation for the coming Elections

Cooperation of CSOs and the Media in the. Preparation for the coming Elections Paper Presentation By Laz Apir (Program Manager, Transition Monitoring Group-TMG) Topic: Cooperation of CSOs and the Media in the Preparation for the coming Elections Date: 4 th March, 2014 Venue: 3, Rudolf

More information

SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION) SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION)

SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION) SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION) SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION) 1 SURVEY ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF INEC (POST-2015 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION) 2017 Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room. All rights

More information

PRESENTER: JOHN CHEN Ph.D LEAD CONSULTANT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ELECTION SOLUTIONS CONSULT NIG. LIMITED

PRESENTER: JOHN CHEN Ph.D LEAD CONSULTANT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ELECTION SOLUTIONS CONSULT NIG. LIMITED PAPER PRESENTATION AT THE NIGERIAN ARMY SCHOOL OF MILITARY ENGINEERING (NASME), AS CAPACITY BUILDING ON ELECTION SECURITY TO OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE COMMAND PRESENTER: JOHN CHEN Ph.D LEAD CONSULTANT AND

More information

New Strategies and Strengthening Electoral Capacities. Tangier (Morocco), March 2012

New Strategies and Strengthening Electoral Capacities. Tangier (Morocco), March 2012 Seminar Problematic of Elections in Africa How to Master the Electoral Process New Strategies and Strengthening Electoral Capacities Tangier (Morocco), 19-21 March 2012 THEME PROBLEMATIC OF ELECTIONS IN

More information

European Union Election Observation Mission

European Union Election Observation Mission European Union Election Observation Mission Federal Republic of Nigeria 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA FINAL REPORT General Elections 28 March 2015, 11 April 2015 July 2015 EUROPEAN

More information

National Early Warning System (NEWS) Situation Report on the Mitigation of Threats to the peaceful conduct of the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria

National Early Warning System (NEWS) Situation Report on the Mitigation of Threats to the peaceful conduct of the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria National Early Warning System (NEWS) Situation Report on the Mitigation of Threats to the peaceful conduct of the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria January 2019 Introduction As the 2019 Presidential, Gubernatorial

More information

Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Threshold for the 2019 Nigeria Elections

Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Threshold for the 2019 Nigeria Elections Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Threshold for the 2019 Nigeria Elections 1 Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Threshold for the 2019 Nigeria Elections acknowledgement Situation Room expresses appreciation

More information

PROJECT 2011 SWIFT COUNT

PROJECT 2011 SWIFT COUNT PROJECT 2011 SWIFT COUNT PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release May 18, 2011 National Steering Committee Members Dafe Akpedeye (SAN) 1 st Co-Chair Mashood Erubami 2 nd Co-Chair Dr. Aisha Akanbi Rev. Fr. Zacharia

More information

ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) IN THE 2011 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) IN THE 2011 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) IN THE 2011 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA Samuel Iheanacho Ebirim Department of Political Science Obafemi

More information

CHALLENGES OF FRAUD-FREE ELECTION UNDER A DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION

CHALLENGES OF FRAUD-FREE ELECTION UNDER A DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION CHALLENGES OF FRAUD-FREE ELECTION UNDER A DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION (A presentation by Hon. Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, OFR, at a Public Lecture / Book Launch

More information

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE S INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION TO NIGERIA S APRIL 9 RESCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE S INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION TO NIGERIA S APRIL 9 RESCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE S INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION TO NIGERIA S APRIL 9 RESCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS Abuja, April 11, 2011 This preliminary statement is offered

More information

CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CENTRE ACT

CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CENTRE ACT CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING CENTRE ACT ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Establishment of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, etc. 1. Establishment of the Citizenship and Leadership Training

More information

Spatial Analysis of Employment Distribution in the Federal Civil Service, Nigeria

Spatial Analysis of Employment Distribution in the Federal Civil Service, Nigeria Spatial Analysis of Employment Distribution in the Federal Civil Service, Nigeria Doi:10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p265 Abstract U.W. Ibor (Corresponding author) Department of Geography, Federal University Lokoja,

More information

Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group. Nigeria Presidential and National Assembly Elections

Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group. Nigeria Presidential and National Assembly Elections Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group Nigeria Presidential and National Assembly Elections 28 March 2015 Map of Nigeria Source: Economic Intelligence Unit ii NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

More information

SDN ELECTION OBSERVATIONS PRESIDENTIAL & NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS RIVERS STATE

SDN ELECTION OBSERVATIONS PRESIDENTIAL & NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS RIVERS STATE SDN ELECTION OBSERVATIONS PRESIDENTIAL & NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS RIVERS STATE SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCERNS Citizens in Rivers State turned out to vote peacefully and with patience. Press

More information

An appraisal of the Legal Framework for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections: Matters Arising

An appraisal of the Legal Framework for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections: Matters Arising An appraisal of the Legal Framework for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections: Matters Arising Idayat Hassan Director Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) Following the successful conduct of

More information

NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS AND MEDIA COVERAGE JANUARY 2007

NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS AND MEDIA COVERAGE JANUARY 2007 NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS AND MEDIA COVERAGE JANUARY 2007 Election Campaign Context In April 2007, Nigerians go the polls for the third consecutive time to elect a President and national representatives.

More information

The Candidates Emerge

The Candidates Emerge March 20067 Issue 3 Volume 1 AN NDI N IGERIA NEWSLETTER ON TH E ELECTIONS The Candidates Emerge andidates have started emerging for C the elections. While the process by which candidates in some political

More information

NIGERIA SITUATION REPORT

NIGERIA SITUATION REPORT NIGERIA SITUATION REPORT SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Report No. 1 / 26 January 2015 ~ 0 ~ Table of Contents Executive Summary... 2 Introduction 4 Antecedents of the two Leading Presidential

More information

The event was also attended by several top traditional rulers and other Nigerian notable citizens.

The event was also attended by several top traditional rulers and other Nigerian notable citizens. Abuja, Nigeria, February 14 (Infosplusgabon) - Nigeria s President and candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President and candidate of the major opposition

More information

Prof. Attahiru M. Jega, OFR Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission

Prof. Attahiru M. Jega, OFR Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission Prof. Attahiru M. Jega, OFR Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission A Keynote Address at the Inaugural Session of CSIS Nigeria Forum in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2015 INTRODUCTION REFORMS

More information

How Credible Were the Nigerian 2015 General Elections? An Electoral Integrity Framework of Analysis. Author: Hakeem Onapajo (Ph.D.

How Credible Were the Nigerian 2015 General Elections? An Electoral Integrity Framework of Analysis. Author: Hakeem Onapajo (Ph.D. How Credible Were the Nigerian 2015 General Elections? An Electoral Integrity Framework of Analysis Author: Hakeem Onapajo (Ph.D.) Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Politics and International Studies,

More information

NIGERIA S CRITICAL MOMENT

NIGERIA S CRITICAL MOMENT NIGERIA S CRITICAL MOMENT Preventing Election Violence March 2015 Introduction Youth in Plateau disseminate non-violence messages during a peer-to-peer voter awareness event. Mercy Corps OVERVIEW Deep

More information

GUIDELINES FOR PRIMARIES

GUIDELINES FOR PRIMARIES TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL YOUTH PARTY CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ON PRIMARIES CANDIDATE SCREENING FOR ELECTIONS 4 MANDATORY PROVISIONS FOR THE CONDUCT OF PRIMARIES 5 ELIGIBILITY FOR PRIMARY ELECTIONS 5

More information

Final NDI Report on Nigeria s 2007 Elections

Final NDI Report on Nigeria s 2007 Elections Final NDI Report on Nigeria s 2007 Elections National Democratic Institute Final NDI Report on Nigeria s 2007 Elections National Democratic Institute NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

More information

Communal Conflict in Nasarawa State

Communal Conflict in Nasarawa State Humanitarian Bulletin Nigeria Issue 07 October 2013 In this issue Communal Conflict in Nasarawa State P.1 Relocating Communities on Floodplains P.1 HIGHLIGHTS Over 40,000 people displaced by intercommunal

More information

The Carter Center [Country] Election Observation Mission [Election, Month, Year] Weekly Report XX

The Carter Center [Country] Election Observation Mission [Election, Month, Year] Weekly Report XX The Carter Center [Country] Election Observation Mission [Election, Month, Year] Observers Names Team No. Area of Responsibility Reporting Period Weekly Report XX Please note that the sample questions

More information

Strong electoral competition and commitment demonstrated despite systemic problems

Strong electoral competition and commitment demonstrated despite systemic problems European Union Election Observation Mission Federal Republic of Nigeria General Elections 2015 FIRST PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Strong electoral competition and commitment demonstrated despite systemic problems

More information

HISTORICAL DIALECTICS OF 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: IMPLICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

HISTORICAL DIALECTICS OF 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: IMPLICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA HISTORICAL DIALECTICS OF 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: IMPLICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA Uhembe Clement Ahar Department of Political Science, Federal University Lafia, Lafia, Nasarawa State

More information

PROVISIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL ACT COMMITTEE S RECOMMENDATION REMARKS/ JUSTIFICATIONS PROVISIONS OF BILLS CLAUSES

PROVISIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL ACT COMMITTEE S RECOMMENDATION REMARKS/ JUSTIFICATIONS PROVISIONS OF BILLS CLAUSES REPORT OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) ON A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACT NO. 6, 2010 AND FOR OTHER RELATED MATTERS (S.B. 231 AND S.B. 234)

More information

This article provides a brief overview of an

This article provides a brief overview of an ELECTION LAW JOURNAL Volume 12, Number 1, 2013 # Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/elj.2013.1215 The Carter Center and Election Observation: An Obligations-Based Approach for Assessing Elections David

More information

The Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) Presents 2017 Mandatory Continuing Professional Planning Education Programme (MCPPEP).

The Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) Presents 2017 Mandatory Continuing Professional Planning Education Programme (MCPPEP). The Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) Presents 2017 Mandatory Continuing Professional Planning Education Programme (MCPPEP). It is scheduled as follows: First Leg Theme: "Insurgency,

More information

NIGERIA NATIONAL ELECTIONS APRIL International Republican Institute

NIGERIA NATIONAL ELECTIONS APRIL International Republican Institute NIGERIA NATIONAL ELECTIONS APRIL 2011 International Republican Institute NIGERIA NATIONAL ELECTIONS APRIL 2011 INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE WWW.IRI.ORG @IRIGLOBAL 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Election

More information

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) INTERNATIONAL PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS. Abuja, May 10, 2006

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) INTERNATIONAL PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS. Abuja, May 10, 2006 STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) INTERNATIONAL PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO NIGERIA S 2007 ELECTIONS Abuja, May 10, 2006 This statement is offered by an international pre-election delegation

More information

Enhanced Automated Biometric Web-Based Electronic Voting System for Nigeria

Enhanced Automated Biometric Web-Based Electronic Voting System for Nigeria Enhanced Automated Biometric Web-Based Electronic Voting System for Nigeria Obodoeze Fidelis C. 1, Obiokafor Ifeyinwa Nkemdilim 2, Ojibah Obiageli Chineze 3 1 Department of Computer Engineering Technology,

More information

2011 NIGERIAN ELECTIONS

2011 NIGERIAN ELECTIONS FINAL REPORT ON NIGERIA S 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS 2011 NIGERIAN ELECTIONS National Democratic Institute for International Affairs Final Report FINAL REPORT ON THE 2011 NIGERIAN GENERAL ELECTIONS 1 National

More information

CORRUPTION & POVERTY IN NIGERIA

CORRUPTION & POVERTY IN NIGERIA CORRUPTION & POVERTY IN NIGERIA Finding the Linkages NIGERIA $509bn Africa Largest Economics $509bn - Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with a revised GDP of $509bn as at 2013. (Africa) 26 Nigeria

More information

ETHICS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN NIGERIA

ETHICS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN NIGERIA ETHICS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN NIGERIA NNANTA, N. ELEKWA & EME OKECHUKWU INNOCENT Department of Public Administration and Local Government ASOGWA, NICHOLAS UCHECHUKWU

More information

Elections since General Pervez Musharraf took power in 1999

Elections since General Pervez Musharraf took power in 1999 Elections since General Pervez Musharraf took power in 1999 Long before Pervez Musharraf took power in a military coup in 1999, elections in Pakistan did not meet international standards for being free

More information

Labor Force Statistics Vol. 1: Unemployment and Underemployment Report (Q1-Q3 2017)

Labor Force Statistics Vol. 1: Unemployment and Underemployment Report (Q1-Q3 2017) Labor Force Statistics Vol. 1: and Underemployment Report (Q1-Q3 2017) Report Date: December 2017 Contents Summary 1 Definition and Methodology 3 Labor Force and Non-Labor Force and Underemployment 3 8

More information

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Civil Society Election Coalition (CSEC) 2011 For Free and Fair Elections Summary PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Issued Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 15:00 hours Taj Pamodzi Hotel, Lusaka The Civil Society Election

More information

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SEEDS ACT

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SEEDS ACT NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SEEDS ACT ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I Establishment, etc., of the National Agricultural Seeds Council 1. Establishment of the National Agricultural Seeds Council. 2. Membership

More information

Resource Manual on Electoral Systems in Nepal

Resource Manual on Electoral Systems in Nepal Translation: Resource Manual on Electoral Systems in Nepal Election Commission Kantipath, Kathmandu This English-from-Nepali translation of the original booklet is provided by NDI/Nepal. For additional

More information

Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. DOI: /sjhss ISSN (Print)

Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. DOI: /sjhss ISSN (Print) DOI: 10.21276/sjhss.2017.2.1.10 Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Scholars Middle East Publishers Dubai, United Arab Emirates Website: http://scholarsmepub.com/ ISSN 2415-6256 (Print) ISSN

More information

FLASHPOINTS: THE 2015 ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

FLASHPOINTS: THE 2015 ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA FLASHPOINTS: THE 2015 ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA Issue Three: 27 Jan 2015 Days to Presidential Poll: 18 Days to Governor and House of Representatives Poll: 32 TALK ABOUT POLICIES AND NOT RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC

More information

POLITICAL PARTY AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS 1

POLITICAL PARTY AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS 1 POLITICAL PARTY AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS 1 Sir Fred Phillips I. GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE The population of St. Kitts and Nevis is 45,000 of whom 35,000 live in St. Kitts and 10,000 live

More information

Nigeria. Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs. February 12, CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

Nigeria. Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs. February 12, CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs February 12, 2010 Congressional Research Service CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33964 Report Documentation

More information

The Role of Political Parties in Sustaining The Gains Of The 2015 General Elections: The APC Perspective

The Role of Political Parties in Sustaining The Gains Of The 2015 General Elections: The APC Perspective The Role of Political Parties in Sustaining The Gains Of The 2015 General Elections: The APC Perspective PROTOCOL Preamble: Political Parties Before going into the main topic of this presentation, let

More information

Thematic Workshop on Elections, Violence and Conflict Prevention 2 nd edition

Thematic Workshop on Elections, Violence and Conflict Prevention 2 nd edition Thematic Workshop on Elections, Violence and Conflict Prevention 2 nd edition International Observation Mark Gallagher, EEAS Democratisation and Elections Division Barcelona 20-24 Jun 2011 Aim of Election

More information

MEDIA COVERAGE OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUN AND NEW NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS

MEDIA COVERAGE OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUN AND NEW NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS MEDIA COVERAGE OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SUN AND NEW NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS BELLO IBRAHIM HALILU, ABUBAKAR BABA GARBA & ABBA ABDULMUMIN Department Of Mass Communication Federal Polytechnic

More information

RESEARCH REPORT ITU INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS United Nations Security Council VISION WITH ACTION. The situation in Nigeria

RESEARCH REPORT ITU INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS United Nations Security Council VISION WITH ACTION. The situation in Nigeria ITU INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2016 VISION WITH ACTION United Nations Security Council The situation in Nigeria RESEARCH REPORT Yasemin Melek Introduction Nigeria has been one of the countries

More information

NIGERIA: Lesson 1: Geography & Population

NIGERIA: Lesson 1: Geography & Population NIGERIA: Lesson 1: Geography & Population 2011 Presidential Election Comparative Literacy Rates Country Males Females China 98.2% 94.5% Iran 91.2% 82.5% Mexico 96.2% 94.2% Nigeria 69.2% 49.7% Russia

More information

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION REGULATION FOR THE CONDUCT OF POLITICAL PARTY PRIMARIES

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION REGULATION FOR THE CONDUCT OF POLITICAL PARTY PRIMARIES INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION REGULATION FOR THE CONDUCT OF POLITICAL PARTY PRIMARIES 1 Content 1. Content Page no. 2 2. Forward 3 3. Party rules and conditions for nomination 4 4. Notification

More information

NO PARTY TO VIOLENCE: ANALYZING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES

NO PARTY TO VIOLENCE: ANALYZING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES NO PARTY TO VIOLENCE: ANALYZING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES Preliminary Findings from Pilots in Côte d Ivoire, Honduras, Tanzania, and Tunisia 1 NO PARTY TO VIOLENCE: ANALYZING VIOLENCE

More information

Effects of Electoral Fraud and Violence on Nigeria Democracy: Lessons from 2011 Presidential Election

Effects of Electoral Fraud and Violence on Nigeria Democracy: Lessons from 2011 Presidential Election IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 20, Issue 4, Ver. 1 (Apr. 2015), PP 10-15 e-issn: 2279-0837, p-issn: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org Effects of Electoral Fraud and Violence

More information

Prevalence of Corrupt Political Practices

Prevalence of Corrupt Political Practices International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities Vol. 2, No. 1 (2011), pp. 1-6 www.irssh.com ISSN 2248-9010 (Online), ISSN 2250-0715 (Print) Prevalence of Corrupt Political Practices J. E. Maciver

More information

Azerbaijan Elections and After

Azerbaijan Elections and After Azerbaijan Elections and After Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper November 18, 2005 Introduction...2 The Pre-election Campaign... 2 Election Day... 3 Post-Election Period... 3 Recommendations...5 Freedom

More information

ELECTORAL REFORMS AND DEMOCRATIC STABILITY IN NIGERIA. Samuel Ogwu O.

ELECTORAL REFORMS AND DEMOCRATIC STABILITY IN NIGERIA. Samuel Ogwu O. ELECTORAL REFORMS AND DEMOCRATIC STABILITY IN NIGERIA Samuel Ogwu O. Department of Public Administration, Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria. ABSTRACT Democracy has been embraced across the

More information

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 6 [Special Issue March 2012]

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 6 [Special Issue March 2012] International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 6 [Special Issue March 2012] SPATIAL DISPARITY IN EMPLOYEE COMPOSITION IN THE OIL INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA AND THE IMPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL

More information

Applying International Election Standards. A Field Guide for Election Monitoring Groups

Applying International Election Standards. A Field Guide for Election Monitoring Groups Applying International Election Standards A Field Guide for Election Monitoring Groups Applying International Election Standards This field guide is designed as an easy- reference tool for domestic non-

More information

NO. 5, September, 2013

NO. 5, September, 2013 NO. 5, September, 2013 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying

More information

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 2017 Liberia Presidential and Legislative Election Oct. 12, 2017

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 2017 Liberia Presidential and Legislative Election Oct. 12, 2017 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 2017 Liberia Presidential and Legislative Election Oct. 12, 2017 As The Carter Center makes this preliminary report, it is important to note that the election process is ongoing,

More information

Public Attitudes in Nigeria January Williams and Associates Opinion Research and Consulting

Public Attitudes in Nigeria January Williams and Associates Opinion Research and Consulting Public Attitudes in Nigeria January 2019 Williams and Associates Opinion Research and Consulting Our Global Experience Our African Experience COUNTRY YEAR CLIENT Zambia 2008 President Rupiah Banda Zimbabwe

More information

Update on the Northeast

Update on the Northeast Humanitarian Bulletin Nigeria Issue 07 September 2014 HIGHLIGHTS Up to 1.5 million IDPs and 75,000 refugees/returnees as a result of conflict in the Northeast. There are over 60,000 new IDPs in Maiduguri

More information

Winning the Fight but Losing the Battle: Beyond the Successful Prosecution of Unlawful Carnal Knowledge of the Girl-Child in Nigeria

Winning the Fight but Losing the Battle: Beyond the Successful Prosecution of Unlawful Carnal Knowledge of the Girl-Child in Nigeria Beijing Law Review, 2016, 7, 51-56 Published Online March 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/blr http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/blr.2016.71006 Winning the Fight but Losing the Battle: Beyond the Successful

More information

The Language of Politics and Political behaviours: Rhetoric of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the 2007 general elections in Nigeria

The Language of Politics and Political behaviours: Rhetoric of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the 2007 general elections in Nigeria Kogi State University, Anyigba From the SelectedWorks of Marietu S Tenuche (PhD) Summer July 1, 2009 The Language of Politics and Political behaviours: Rhetoric of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the 2007

More information

Nigeria. Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs. June 4, CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

Nigeria. Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs. June 4, CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Lauren Ploch Analyst in African Affairs June 4, 2010 Congressional Research Service CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33964 Summary Nigeria, the

More information

August Free, but not fair: Why SADC poll endorsement was misinformed?

August Free, but not fair: Why SADC poll endorsement was misinformed? August 2013 Free, but not fair: Why SADC poll endorsement was misinformed? Following the July 31 st harmonised polls, it has become apparently clear that once again, Zimbabwe conducted a disputed poll

More information

Transition and Civic Engagements in Nigeria: What does 2015 Portend?

Transition and Civic Engagements in Nigeria: What does 2015 Portend? Transition and Civic Engagements in Nigeria: What does 2015 Portend? Dr. Robert O. Dode 1 Lawrence I. Edet 2* 1. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Uyo, Nigera, P.M.B.1017

More information

WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION

WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION Women's political participation in Yemen is significandy higher than that of other countries in the region. Yemen was the first country on the Arabian Peninsula to enfranchise women.

More information

STATEMENT OF THE NDI PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO YEMEN S SEPTEMBER 2006 PRESIDENTIAL AND LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS. Sana a, Yemen, August 16, 2006

STATEMENT OF THE NDI PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO YEMEN S SEPTEMBER 2006 PRESIDENTIAL AND LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS. Sana a, Yemen, August 16, 2006 STATEMENT OF THE NDI PRE-ELECTION DELEGATION TO YEMEN S SEPTEMBER 2006 PRESIDENTIAL AND LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS I. Introduction Sana a, Yemen, August 16, 2006 This statement has been prepared by the National

More information

ELECTION TRIBUNALS AND THE SURVIVAL OF NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE OSUN DEFENDER

ELECTION TRIBUNALS AND THE SURVIVAL OF NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE OSUN DEFENDER ELECTION TRIBUNALS AND THE SURVIVAL OF NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY BY PROFESSOR I.E. SAGAY, SAN. A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE OSUN DEFENDER ON TUESDAY 26 TH FEBRUARY, 2008 AT THE MUSON CENTRE,

More information

Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections on 30 July 2018

Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections on 30 July 2018 on 30 July 2018 Preliminary Statement by John Dramani Mahama Former President of the Republic of Ghana Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group: Members of the media, ladies and gentlemen. Thank

More information