Strategies for (Re) Building Democratic Institutions to Achieve Credible Elections in Nigeria

Abstract

Unarguably, Nigeria’s electoral process has continued to elicit public emotion because of its significance in shaping the political, social and economic lives of the citizens. This is because the nature and character of an electoral process ultimately determines the quality of political leadership that would emerge at the end of the exercise. The obvious fact is that faulty electoral processes produce faulty, unacceptable and illegitimate leadership, in the same vein, credible electoral processes produce legitimate and acceptable leadership. This paper takes a look at the electoral process and examines those key issues that determine election management and democratic institutions in Nigeria, and argues that independent and credible democratic institutions are the bastion for achieving credible elections in Nigeria. It concludes with recommendations for the involvement of all stakeholders in the process of entrenching a credible electoral process.