Imagine a nation grappling with the very foundations of its democracy, where the promise of free and fair elections is perpetually undermined. This book delves into the heart of Nigeria's electoral challenges, exposing the cyclical pattern of electoral irregularities that have plagued the nation's democratic journey. It uncovers how poor election administration fuels recurring fatal election violence, contested election outcomes, and a disheartening decline in voter turnout across seven quadrennial national election cycles. Through the lens of institutional theory, the study meticulously analyzes the negative impact of these irregularities on the core tenets of democratic elections, dissecting the roles and responsibilities of key institutions such as electoral management bodies, security agencies, and the courts. By employing mixed qualitative research strategies and scrutinizing national election data on election-related fatalities, litigations, and voter turnout, the book identifies critical patterns and correlations, revealing the intricate relationships between various manifestations of irregularities and their detrimental effects on the overall quality of Nigerian elections. It assesses the effectiveness of government-led electoral reforms implemented over time, questioning whether these efforts have truly addressed the underlying issues or merely provided temporary relief. Furthermore, the book offers a comparative analysis, contrasting Nigeria's experiences with those of other African nations, providing invaluable insights into the broader challenges of democratic consolidation and electoral integrity across the continent. Discover the factors that contribute to democratic backsliding and the resource curse, while exploring alternative approaches for strengthening electoral processes and fostering greater public trust. This comprehensive exploration is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of electoral governance, the dynamics of political violence, and the struggle for democratic progress in Nigeria and beyond. Unearth the truth behind the headlines and gain a deeper understanding of the forces shaping Nigeria's electoral destiny. Keywords: Electoral irregularities, election violence, contested elections, voter turnout, electoral reforms, electoral institutions, Nigeria, institutional theory, democratic backsliding, resource curse. The study compares trends across three distinct periods (pre-2011, 2011 reform implementation, and post-2011) to analyze the impact of electoral reforms.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Extant research on electoral irregularities, contentious elections, and voter participation
- Understanding the problem from an institutional lens
- Electoral institutions in Nigeria
- Electoral reforms in Nigeria's fourth republic and study periodization
- Methodology
- Results
- Results of fatal election violence in Nigeria
- Results of election petitions in Nigeria
- Results for voter turnout in Nigeria
- Descriptive measures of association
- Discussion
- Comparative discussion of findings in Nigeria with some African countries
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to explain how repeated electoral irregularities stemming from poor election administration contribute to recurring fatal election violence, contested election outcomes, and declining voter turnout in Nigeria's seven quadrennial national election cycles. It utilizes institutional theory to analyze the negative impact of these irregularities on the core values of democratic elections and employs mixed qualitative research strategies for data collection and analysis. The study seeks to assess the effectiveness of government-led electoral reforms and explore the need for alternative approaches.
- The impact of poor election administration on electoral irregularities in Nigeria.
- The connection between electoral irregularities and fatal election violence, contested outcomes, and voter apathy.
- The effectiveness of government-initiated electoral reforms in addressing these irregularities.
- The role of electoral institutions (EMBs, security agencies, and courts) in mediating electoral outcomes.
- A comparative analysis of Nigeria's experience with other African countries.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction: This chapter introduces the study's central research question: how repeated electoral irregularities, originating from poor election administration, manifest in recurring fatal election violence, contested election outcomes, and declining voter turnout in Nigeria. It highlights the gap in existing literature, which primarily focuses on individual manifestations of irregularities without examining their interconnectedness and cyclical nature. The chapter positions the study within the broader context of democratic backsliding and resource curse theories, arguing that the failure to hold leaders accountable through elections exacerbates the problem. The study's methodology, focusing on mixed qualitative research strategies and a period-based analysis of seven election cycles, is also briefly introduced.
Extant research on electoral irregularities, contentious elections, and voter participation: This chapter reviews existing literature on electoral irregularities, contentious elections, and voter participation, highlighting the global prevalence of irregularities and their disproportionate impact on new democracies. It discusses how these irregularities affect democratization efforts and contribute to conflict, contested outcomes, and decreased voter trust. The chapter establishes a theoretical foundation for the study by showing the existing literature's focus on individual manifestations of irregularities while ignoring their interconnectedness and cyclical effects, a gap which this study fills.
Understanding the problem from an institutional lens: This section delves into the institutional framework of Nigerian elections, analyzing the roles and responsibilities of key institutions—electoral management bodies (EMBs), security agencies, and the courts—in maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. It examines the influence of these institutions in shaping electoral outcomes and their susceptibility to external pressures. The chapter provides a theoretical framework for understanding how institutional failures contribute to electoral irregularities, using institutional theory to illuminate the impact of poor election management on the observed negative outcomes.
Methodology: This chapter details the research methods employed in the study, including the data sources utilized (national election data on election-related fatalities, litigations, and voter turnout), the descriptive inferential statistics applied, and the analytical approach used to compare trends across three distinct periods (pre-2011, 2011 reform implementation, and post-2011). The chapter justifies the selection of a mixed qualitative approach, explaining how the combination of quantitative and qualitative data enhances the depth and breadth of the analysis.
Results: This chapter presents the findings of the study, focusing on the trends of electoral irregularities (fatal election violence, election petitions, and voter turnout) across the seven election cycles in Nigeria. The data are analyzed to identify patterns and correlations, exploring the relationship between the various manifestations of irregularities and their impact on the overall quality of Nigerian elections. This chapter lays the groundwork for the interpretation and discussion of the results in the following section.
Discussion: This chapter interprets and discusses the study's findings, drawing connections between the observed trends in electoral irregularities and the institutional factors highlighted earlier. It compares Nigeria's experiences with those of other African countries, providing contextual insights into the broader challenges of democratic consolidation and electoral integrity in the region. The discussion section synthesizes the various strands of evidence to shed light on the central research question, offering a nuanced understanding of the cyclical nature of electoral irregularities in Nigeria.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Electoral irregularities, election violence, contested elections, voter turnout, electoral reforms, electoral institutions, Nigeria, institutional theory, democratic backsliding, resource curse.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Was ist das Hauptziel dieser Studie über Nigeria's Wahlen?
Diese Studie zielt darauf ab, zu erklären, wie wiederholte Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten, die auf eine schlechte Wahlverwaltung zurückzuführen sind, zu wiederkehrender tödlicher Wahlgewalt, umstrittenen Wahlausgängen und sinkender Wahlbeteiligung in Nigeria's sieben quadrennialen nationalen Wahlzyklen beitragen. Sie verwendet die institutionelle Theorie, um die negativen Auswirkungen dieser Unregelmäßigkeiten auf die Kernwerte demokratischer Wahlen zu analysieren und verwendet gemischte qualitative Forschungsstrategien für die Datenerhebung und -analyse.
Welche zentralen Themen werden in der Studie untersucht?
Die Studie konzentriert sich auf die Auswirkungen einer schlechten Wahlverwaltung auf Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten, die Verbindung zwischen Unregelmäßigkeiten und Gewalt, die Wirksamkeit von Wahlreformen, die Rolle von Wahlinstitutionen und einen vergleichenden Blick auf Nigeria's Erfahrungen im Vergleich zu anderen afrikanischen Ländern.
Welche Forschungsmethoden werden angewendet?
Die Studie verwendet eine Mischung aus qualitativen Forschungsstrategien für die Datenerhebung und -analyse, einschliesslich nationaler Wahldaten zu wahlbezogenen Todesfällen, Rechtsstreitigkeiten und Wahlbeteiligung. Deskriptive inferenzstatistische Methoden und ein analytischer Ansatz zum Vergleich von Trends über drei Perioden (vor 2011, Umsetzung der Reform von 2011 und nach 2011) werden eingesetzt.
Was sind die wichtigsten Ergebnisse, die in der Studie präsentiert werden?
Die Studie präsentiert die Ergebnisse, die sich auf die Trends der Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten (tödliche Wahlgewalt, Wahlpetitionen und Wahlbeteiligung) in den sieben Wahlzyklen in Nigeria konzentrieren. Die Daten werden analysiert, um Muster und Korrelationen zu identifizieren, wobei die Beziehung zwischen den verschiedenen Erscheinungsformen von Unregelmäßigkeiten und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Gesamtqualität der nigerianischen Wahlen untersucht werden.
Welche Rolle spielen Wahlinstitutionen in Nigeria laut Studie?
Die Studie analysiert die Rollen und Verantwortlichkeiten der wichtigsten Institutionen - Wahlleitungsbehörden (EMBs), Sicherheitsbehörden und Gerichte -, um die Integrität des Wahlprozesses aufrechtzuerhalten. Es untersucht den Einfluss dieser Institutionen auf die Gestaltung der Wahlergebnisse und ihre Anfälligkeit für äusseren Druck.
Wie vergleicht sich Nigeria in Bezug auf Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten mit anderen afrikanischen Ländern?
Die Diskussion in der Studie vergleicht Nigeria's Erfahrungen mit denen anderer afrikanischer Länder und bietet kontextbezogene Einblicke in die umfassenderen Herausforderungen der demokratischen Konsolidierung und der Wahlintegrität in der Region.
Welche Schlüsselwörter sind relevant für diese Studie?
Zu den Schlüsselwörtern gehören: Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten, Wahlgewalt, umstrittene Wahlen, Wahlbeteiligung, Wahlreformen, Wahlinstitutionen, Nigeria, Institutionentheorie, demokratischer Rückschritt und Ressourcenfluch.
Welche Art von Daten wurden in der Studie verwendet?
Die Studie nutzte nationale Wahldaten zu wahlbezogenen Todesfällen, Rechtsstreitigkeiten und Wahlbeteiligung.
Warum konzentriert sich die Studie auf den Zeitraum vor und nach 2011?
Die Studie vergleicht Trends über drei Perioden: vor 2011, Umsetzung der Reform von 2011 und nach 2011, um die Auswirkungen der Wahlreformen zu analysieren.
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- Quote paper
- Uchenna C. Obiagu (Author), Repeated electoral irregularities in Nigerian elections. Explaining Nigeria’s seven quadrennial election cycles, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1417533
