INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF 2011 GENERAL ELECTION)

ABSTRACT   The desire to research on the independent national electoral commission and democracy in Nigeria stems from the fact that most political crisis in our country since independence was due to electoral malpractices.   And as a student of Public Administration I suggest, there is the need for a free and fair election with perspective. Scholarly study in the independent electoral commission and democracy in Nigeria is necessary to proffer solution to proper and general acclaimed elections. Election is the process by which the electorates vote for contestants with the aim of closing one of them to represent their interest in the government. Election is a very important criteria and the most valuable weapon of the electorate. It is pertinent to note that the electoral process has been seen by the majority as a baby with teething problems for an electoral process to be considered satisfactory, there should be good representative for both majority and minority on issues of public interest, good constituencies of personal relationship. The polarization of Nigeria politics along ethnic, religious, ideological and parochial lines weakens the demarcation institution set up to ensure that stability was achieved. The political institutions coupled with confusion and uncertainties which characterized show signs of lapses both on the side of the masses, the government and the electoral institution itself. All these points to me fact that the institution of the electoral process is still at the preliminary stage in Nigeria. Nigeria became independent in I960 and attained the status of a republican state in 1963. Since then it has gone through some democratic dispensations. Various electoral commissions had been set up by the various governments that have been in power since then.  The first electoral commission was the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) followed by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and now the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). These various Electoral Commissions were charged with the function of conducting free and fair elections. A critical look into the political situation in Nigeria portrays lapses on the side of the Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections. There have been lots of challenges for the electoral commission. Therefore, a critical look into the political situation in Nigeria portrays lapses on the side the Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections. There have been lots of challenges for the Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections especially to ensure the proper conduct of 201 general election.   TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page  - - - - - - - - i Approval page  -- - - - - - - - ii Dedication  - - -- - - - - - iii Acknowledgement  - - - - - - - iv Abstract  - - - - - - - - - v Table of contents  - - - - - - - viii
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study - - - - - 1 1.2 Statement of the problem  - - - - 3 1.3 Purpose of the study - - - - - - 4 1.4 Significance of the study  - - - - - 4 1.5 Literature review  - - - - - - 5 1.6 Theoretical framework - - - - - - 15 1.7 Methodology  - - - - - - - 16 1.8 Hypothesis  - - - - - - - 16 1.9 Method of data analysis  - - - - - 17 1.10 Scope of data collection  - - - - - 17 References  - - - - - - - 18
CHAPTER TWO 2.1 The Nature and meaning of democracy - - 19 2.2 Problem associated with Democracy in Nigeria - 34 References  - - - - - - - 37
CHAPTER THREE 3.1 The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) - 39 3.2 Organization structure of INEC - - - 42 3.3 Functions of the electoral commission  - - 48 References  - - - - - - - 52
CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the democratic process  - - - - - 53 4.1 INEC and challenges of 2011 general election - 57 4.2 Party conventions/primary election  - - - 58 4.3 The 2011 general election  - - - - 61 Reference  - - - - - - - 69
CHAPTER FIVE 5.1 Summary  - - - - - - - 71 5.2 Recommendation  - - - - - - 73 5.3 Conclusion  - - - - - - - 75 Bibliography  - - - - - - - 77