RECONSTRUCTING THE NIGERIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM A PROGNOSIS OF DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION

Abstract

Election as a core democratic process, underscores the potency of the electorate’s power in determining political power positions. Hence, real political power belongs to the people and not the elite or the governing class. Theoretically, the Nigerian
electoral system toed the nature and character of the colonial political heritage while actually reproducing the fundamental principles of the traditional electoral system of the country. It is rather an indisputable fact that the check introduced by the Nigeria Electoral Act 2010 (Section 87) as amended has not yielded the desired results as the just concluded 2015 Nigeria’s general election was marred by institutional weakness. Thus, the contradictions and inadequacies of the existing electoral system and processes portend great danger for Nigeria’s democratic progression. The study examines the Nigeria’s electoral system and its impact on democratic consolidation. We predicated our investigations on Systems theory. Source of data for the study was basically secondary while content analysis was used as our method of data analysis. We noted that Nigeria’s electoral processes were marred by systemic manipulation, and political interference at the collation processes at the detriment of free and fair polls. However, we observed that the 2015 general elections were the most acrimonious ever conducted in the annals of the country. Accordingly, the study submits that the electoral system and processes should be restructured to meet the increasing demands and challenges of the present day democratic Nigeria.