Political Parties, Elections and Governance in Nigeria: The Fourth Republic in Perspective

Abstract

In 1999, Political Parties reclaimed the right to govern in Nigeria. This right was embodied in popular mandates derived from periodic elections. However, the political parties that emerged to drive Nigeria’s democratization bore the imprint of the logic of accumulation and politics under military rule. Electoral processes such as voter registration, candidate selection, vote counting and announcement were impacted by this logic. Individuals, who came to be referred to as godfathers, supplanted the political parties, imposing their control on these processes, often criminalizing them. The hold of the godfather on the electoral process pays little or no attention to rules governing electoral engagement. Electoral victory is predicated on the ability to plan and meticulously deploy violence and corruption at each stage of the electoral process. This deformation of the electoral system has tended to produce elected government officials who either proceed to conduct public affairs in brazenly criminal manner, or risk serious schism that pitch them against their godfather where they chose to conduct governmental affairs against the dictates of the latter. The improved quality of management of the 2011 elections diminished the influence of the godfather, creating a closer match between the preferences of the electorate and electoral victory.