This paper is a contribution to the debate on democratization and development in nigeria. The end of second republic the civilian government of alhaji shehu shagari was overthrown by the army on 31 december, 1983 to the great relief of many nigerians and a military government headed by. However, a further question would be whether nigerias political system has grown at all since then. For the first time in nigerias history, the same national electoral commission chairman prof.
Electoral administration and the consolidation of democracy. History of electoral violence in nigeria notable cases 1. Electoral reforms and democratic stability in nigeria. Thus, electoral violence has proved to be nigerias harbinger of national instability as.
Several electoral bodies have been set up after fec to conduct elections in nigeria. General elections were held in nigeria on 28 and 29 march 2015, the fifth quadrennial election to be held since the end of military rule in 1999. An analysis grace malachi brown, phd department of history and diplomatic studies faculty of humanities rivers state university of education pmb 5047, rumuolumeni port harcourt, rivers state nigeria. Jan 15, 2017 i agree with you debbie, the clifford constitution mark the beginning of elections and the elections of representatives in nigeria.
Nigeria is said to be a british creation by uniting the various nationalities into a single country today known as the federal republic of nigeria. However, in 1999, nigeria made a transition to civilian rule. The consequences of these crises largely contributed to the rude termination of nigeria. Governorship and state assembly elections were held on 14 april, while the presidential and national assembly elections were held a week later on 21 april. Ahistoryofnigeria nigeria is africas most populous country and the worlds eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious con. He noted that, with the exception of the general elections held in december 1976. Nigerias military ruled the country for nearly 30 of 40 yrs of independence.
Geographical, historical and political profiles of nigeria 1. Accordingly, democracy in nigeria cannot be consolidated amidst high level. Final ndi report on nigerias 2007 elections table of contents i. Fortyone of the on july 19, 2011, the international peace institute ipi hosted a roundtable discussion on elections.
General studies directorate abubakar tafawa balewa university, bauchi, nigeria email. The elections will be conducted by nigerias election management body, the independent national electoral commission inec. The rules guiding elections are ambiguous, ever changing or easily maneuvered. Like you said, it provoked the forming of the first political party in nigeria by herbert macaulay. The high level of success of nigerias 2015 general elections was unexpected, considering the difficult political and security environment in which the elections were conducted.
Nigerias political culture such that virtually all elections held so far in the country are violentridden ojo, 2014. Geographical, historical and political profiles of nigeria. Electoral violence and the survival of democracy in nigeria. Not many people know about the first general election in nigeria that happened 96 years ago. Republic of nigeria presidential election of 27 february 1999 source. Ahistoryofnigeria assets cambridge university press. However, the implication of nigeria s electoral history for the enthronement of a democratic order is yet to be exhaustively explored. As the 2015 election cycle heats up, let us reflect on one of its key institutions. How we measure reads a read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title. The election follows controversy as to whether a muslim or christian should be allowed to become president given the tradition of rotating the top. Pdf the electoral process and democratic consolidation. History of political parties in nigeria nigerian finder. Nigeria unveiled, which painted the picture of nigerias econo. Violence has continued to mar the conduct of almost all general elections, making free and fair elections a desideratum.
Nigeria has a rich history of political affairs that changed the direction of the country. Although the nigeria general election which was held in 2011 was relatively peaceful, however, it was also marked with some irregularities. The study is limited to participation in the 1999 and 2003 nigerian elections due to lack of time in gathering materials. Abiola the supposed winner to emerge as a president by the. Out of these five elections, the first four elections were, expectedly, won by the peoples democratic party pdp, which, during this. This thesis is focused on participation in nigerian elections. Perhaps because of the experience i personally had in 2011 about electoral violence which i still share some sentiments with.
Voters elected the president and members to the house of representatives and the senate. Nigeria is in the category where election management is less successful. Abuja has been the capital of nigeria since december 12, 1991. According to preliminary results of the 2006 census and subsequent estimates, the most populous cities in nigeria are lagos about 8 million, kano 3. Methodologically, data for this paper were generated mainly from secondary sources of recorded human documents. History of general elections in nigeria from 1999 till. Additionally, countries with a history of electoral violence often experience a recurrence of such violence, as has been witnessed in kenya, nigeria, and zimbabwe. Nigeria sheriff ghali ibrahim, abdullahi nuhu liman, kabir mato department of political science and international relations, university of abuja, abujanigeria abstract the paper examines the nature of political participation and voting behavior in nigerias 2015 general elections. I agree with you debbie, the clifford constitution mark the beginning of elections and the elections of representatives in nigeria. These political tensions, overlaid atop simmering communal and ethnoreligious violence in parts of nigeria, and alongside boko haram efforts to foment further instability, have raised concerns about the countrys trajectory in the coming months. Comparison is made between the 1999 elections, organized by the civilian government and the 2003 elections, done under the military government. Theoretical perspective 79 languages, customs and traditions gives the country a rich cultural diversity. Then came the 1993 elections in history of elections in nigeria, the l99 elections is seen as the most free and fair elections ever conducted in nigeria general ibrahim babangida, who overthrew the general buharis government, organized an inconclusive transition that was perceived in some quarters to deny a yoruba, chief m.
The constitution provides for a separation of powers among the three branches of government. Summary of observations and recommendations 3 recommendations 4 ii. Toyin falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted. Electoral politics in the fourth republic of nigerias.
However, for elections to be termed democratic, it must be free and fair. Nigeria has had a checkered electoral history with successive elections being marred by serious irregularities and controversy particularly in the conduct of its electoral commission. Journal of nigeria studies volume 1, number 2, fall 2012 political leadership and corruption in nigeria since 1960. The preindependence census figures were generated to perpetually rig elections in nigeria. Therefore, this paper examines democratic consolidation and challenges of legislative politics in nigeria from 19992011. Nigeria s election below the minimum democracy standard. Nigerias present democratization, which culminated in the countrys fourth republic on may 29, 1999, started amidst great hope and expectations. Parliamentary elections were held in nigeria on 12 december 1959.
Political leadership and corruption in nigeria since 1960. Since then, the nature of the democratic project has been the subject of debate in various circles. Nigerias electoral politics from independence has been tumultuous. Introduction 6 the ndi election observation mission 6 the new government and the crisis of legitimacy 7 the nigerian elections in the regional context 8. Nigeria is a federal republic with a presidential system. The presidential election is won by olusegun obasanjo, by now a civilian but for three years from 1976 the military ruler of the country and therefore widely assumed to be the armys preferred candidate. Aside discussing the political parties in nigeria, this write up will equally discuss about the political history of nigeria. This is a particularly important moment in africas history. Permit me to cite these cases in an unchronological order. According to inec, nigerias electoral body, 68, 833, 476 nigerians will be eligible to vote in the 2015 general elections this day, 2015 from proposal. Electoral violence was to rear its head again during nigeria. The worldwide outcry at sarowiwas death, without any pretence of a fair trial, prompts nigerias generals to offer new elections in 1999.
The history of the electoral commissions bodies in nigeria can be traced back to the establishment of the first postindependence electoral commission in nigeria, the federal electoral commission fec, in 1960. Elections in nigeria continue to elicit more than casual interest by nigerian scholars due to the fact that despite the appreciation that only credible election can consolidate and sustain the countrys nascent democracy, over the years, nigeria continues to witness with growing disappointments and apprehension inability to conduct. Elections in nigeria can be traced to as far back as the year 1923 when the country faced first general elections ever. History of political parties in nigeria will never be complete if mention is not made of the various political bigwigs in the history of this country. However, the implication of nigerias electoral history for the enthronement of a democratic order is yet to be exhaustively explored. In view of this, the thrust of this paper is a reflection on the tides of electoral violence and the attendant precipitating factors that make free and fair election pretty difficult in nigeria. Lukman that nigeria badly needed a leadership that can rescue the country from the depth of chronic indiscipline, disorder. Comparative study of 2011 and 2015 presidential elections in. Here is a list of all the electoral commissions in. Introduction nigeria and nigerians have been caught in the frenzy of centenary celebration. The first set of political parties to be formed in nigeria was formed. Virtually every nigerian politician worthy of the name had openly averred that rigging is the only.
The elections have dispelled quite a number of longheld myths about nigeria in terms of their outcome. This has led in some cases to the collapsed of democratic experiments as occurred in 1966 and 1983. A presidential election was held in nigeria on 16 april 2011, postponed from 9 april 2011. The election was originally scheduled to be held on 2 april, but was later postponed to 4 april. Western or formal education was started in nigeria in 1842 only at the primary level by the christian missionaries who managed the educational system according to their respective philosophies. Full details about the electoral commissions in nigeria. Relating presidential election to national censusopinion. The 1999 elections, which brought a retired general, olusegun.
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