Rigging Of Elections and Other Electoral Malpractices In Nigeria

By 

Alaba J. Babalola

ABSTRACT

One stumbling block to the credibility of elections in Nigeria is the fact that they are fraught with malpractices and rigging. There is hardly any election since 1999 in respect of which substantial cases of electoral fraud were not alleged or reported by candidates and observers respectively. 

In this paper we look at what rigging means and how various forms of electoral malpractices leading to it are carried out. We also explain how continuous and rampant electoral fraud can be detrimental to our democracy in Nigeria.

This study contains literature review of academic and journalistic work which contains recorded experience of many years of elections in Nigeria and how malpractices and fraud can be reduced to the barest minimum.

More effort is required on the part of the Nigerian government to create an environment where rigging of election is either very difficult to practice or where offenders are punished severely for interfering with a free and fair election. Our experience from the previous elections and the recommendations of observers is a good place to start a remedial work in this respect.

Keywords: 

Rigging, Electoral process, Elections, Electoral fraud, Malpractices, Irregularities

1.0 INTRODUCTION

To rig means to manipulate or control, usually by deceptive or dishonest means. In the context of an election it is the act of deliberately and dishonestly organizing an election or interfering with its process in order to get a particular result. The aim is either to increase the vote share of a favoured candidate or reduce the vote share of rival candidate, or both. It is also called electoral fraud.

Stable democracies depend on credible elections where people are elected into public offices based on true mandate of the electorate. Electoral malpractices and rigging destroy the integrity of the electoral process and undermines the system by which a nation is governed. The effect of electoral fraud is usually that wrong people acquire governmental power to pursue their own selfish interests rather than the interests of the masses they represent. Also this creates a situation where government

tends to operate without accountability and respect for the rule of law. 

In order to save our democracy in Nigeria, good efforts must be put into preventing various forms of electoral fraud which may occur before, during and after the elections. It is particularly important to consider this issue at this time because another general election will take place in less than two years from now. Precautions can be taken based on experiences from the 2015 and 2019 elections, and better preparations can be made for the forthcoming one.

The paper looks at the various forms of electoral fraud in general, and in particular, the types commonly used in Nigeria as observed in previous elections. It also discusses the reasons why electoral fraud allegations are usually rampant in Nigeria after general elections. Lastly it suggests general strategies for preventing or reducing election rigging and specific steps that may be taken to improve election integrity.

2.0 FORMS OF ELECTORAL FRAUD

Activities and events leading to electoral fraud may be legal or illegal and may take place at any stage of the electoral process. They can be in the form of electorate manipulation, demographic manipulation of voters register, barriers to voter registration or polling and disruption of the election process. Other forms include voter intimidation, violence, threat of violence, coercion of the electorate, legal threats, disinformation, Vote buying and Falsification of election results. These entire activities amount to election rigging because they tend to either prevent eligible voters from exercising their rights to vote the candidate of their choice or provide a means by which unscrupulous elements in the system dishonestly create a result that is favorable to them. In each case, the result produced is bound to be unfair and contrary to the principles of democracy.

3.0 ELECTORAL FRAUD COMMON IN NIGERIA

Igbo voters in Alimosho local Government of Lagos State claimed that they were disenfranchised from participating in the 2019 general election through violence and voter intimidation on days of election in that year. This is one form of election malpractice common in Nigeria. There have been many reported incidence of voter impersonation and multiple voting where one person voted illegally on behalf of other registered voters. There is the practice of ballot box stuffing, which is often an organized operation where ballot papers are processed for large numbers of registered voters who do not show up to vote. And then there is the violent snatching of ballot boxes by hoodlums working for election candidates or political parties who are not satisfied with the way an ongoing election has turned out. 

In the past there have been allegations of political party connivance with the officials of the existing electoral management body to assist in some of these malpractices, especially those relating to recording of voting results at polling units, and the use of the electronic card readers for accrediting voters. By far, the most common form of electoral fraud is Vote Buying where candidates give voters money and commodities in exchange for their votes in an upcoming election. 

Sadly, these electoral irregularities which have been in existence and widely reported since the colonial era have gained ground and have become the fundalmental approach used by political class for acquiring governmental power, Edoh (2003 : 70). Both Offonagoro, W(1981) and Kurfi, A(1983)  respectively, as  chairperson of INEC, reported massive rigging in the years of their observations of elections during Nigeria's Second Republic

4.0 REASONS FOR USUAL ALLEGATIONS OF RIGGING

According to Elaigwu (2007):9, "the electoral process has been crises ridden since 1999. It seems each successive election since then has been worse than earlier ones. The result is that governments emerge with a baggage of crises of legitimacy, which often complicates the dynamics of federalism. This was what happened after the 2003 and 2007 elections.

Allegation of rigging after elections is common in Nigeria because rigging is one of the strategies used for winning elections. All political parties know this, so that if one party wins in an election, the others are so sure that they have been outsmarted in the rigging game. And they would sometimes go to court to prove it. Also, political parties neither have real political ideologies nor economic policies which they may use to govern the country or revamp her distressed economy. They are focused on gaining power not by convincing the electorate that they can provide solutions to society's problems, but rather through the short cut of rigging the elections.

Desperation to gain political power is another reason for these fraud allegations and post election legal contests (Awopeju. A (2011). The public office is the easiest way to get rich in Nigeria. The unfettered access to public funds is one thing, the cartel-like corruption prone systems of the civil service is the other. According to Kolawole, S (2011) "by just becoming a law maker, even at state level, you can become a billionaire overnight. You can create perks for yourself. You can pad budgets. You can harass ministries, departments and agencies to employ your thugs, to pay for your accommodations, to buy you first class air tickets, and to award inflated contracts to your fronts. You can overnight, move from your shack in Mushin to a mansion on Banana Island. How can elections be peaceful?

5.0 HOW MAY ELECTION RIGGING BE REDUCED?

Nigeria has come a long way in the planning and organizing of elections. Much has been learned from the experience in this field, but elections are generally far from being free and fair or credible. Some of the lessons learned from past polling and recommendations of election observers have not been fully applied. 

Mode of voting is supposed to be secret ballot where voters can vote without exposure to intimidation or manipulation. Other aspects of the process should be as open as possible at all polling places, so that the proceedings can be observed and monitored by journalists, civil society and citizens in general.

The use of election audit is necessary to review the electoral process in order to determine whether the votes were counted or tallied correctly, for example, or whether proper procedures were followed in conducting other activities. Election audits can be a deterrent to rigging if candidates know that malpractices will most certainly be exposed and punished. Parallel voting systems may be used for monitoring the electoral process. This would mean a combination of both the traditional and electronic methods where the trajectory and outcome of one can be compared to that of the other to determine the validity of the election results.

In most countries, including Nigeria, where election irregularities are rampant and persistent, the condition is usually as a result of the inadequacies in the electoral Act governing the elections, and which have not been decidedly addressed overtime. Awopeju, (2009). Many aspects of the electoral process need substantive reforms. These would include changes in respect of the roles of the Electoral Management Board, Registration of voters, Polling systems, Eligibility of candidates, conduct of primary election, issues about women participation in the elections, and so on. If the electoral act is amended in the light of setback observed in previous elections, future ones are bout to be better.

Further, the electoral laws may need to be strengthened to include drastic provisions for punishments for electoral fraud. Up till now politicians perpetrate electoral misconduct with impunity. Offenders may be prosecuted to indicate how damaging their nefarious activities have become to our democracy. The law may emphasize the role of law enforcement further to prevent and control electoral violence and intimidation of voters. An Electoral Frauds Commission may be established to develop appropriate strategies for reducing election malpractice and rigging.

As a nation of culture and traditions, it is necessary for leaders of ethnic groups and communities to address the issue of political integrity in Nigeria by appealing to citizen in the grassroots to shun all kinds of electoral fraud that may be advanced by politicians, and for them to be actively involved in achieving the objective of having credible elections in the country. This campaign may be supported by the civil society and other players in the political system, to emphasize the positive impact it will have for political developments in Nigeria.

6.0 CONCLUSION

Democracy as a political system offers great freedom and a condition under which people can live in peace and prosperity, but if the process by which representatives of the people are elected is defective, the gains of democracy can hardly be realized. The situation in Nigeria as far as elections are concerned is still far from being credible. The root cause of this problem must be tackled.  According to Simon Kolawole, "Until public office is no longer a shortcut for wealth and crimes are punished uniformly and swiftly across board, expect more rigging and more violence in future elections". This is a realistic comment about the rigging predicament, and it should be a challenge for the government and other stakeholders to work out a system that demands great accountability and discipline from public office holders. Hopefully this would attract into politics only serious minded individuals who want to serve their country. Also, there's great hope if we can strive continuously to improve the quality of our elections by strengthening the capacity of the election management body (INEC, and by learning from our past experiences with organizing elections.

References:

Awopeju, A (2011). Election Rigging and The Problems of Electoral Act in Nigeria, in Afro-Asian Journal of Social Sciences Vol 2 No 2.4 Quarter IV 2011

Awopeju, A (2009). The 2007 General Elections and the Challenges of Electoral Reforms in Nigeria, in international Journal of Social and Management Sciences, Vol 1 No.1 Pp. 21-23

Edoh, H (2004), Corruption: Political Parties and the Electoral Process in Nigeria, in Jibo, M Simbine, A. T (eds), Contemporary Issues in Nigerian, Ibadan, JODAD Publications

Elaigwu, J. I (2007) Nigeria: The Current State of the Federation : Some Basic Challenges, paper presented at international conference on federalism in honor of Prof. Ronald Watts, organized by the Institute of Governmental Relations, Queens University, Kingston, Canada, October 18-21-2007

Kolawole, S, (2011) How to End Rigging in Nigeria, http://thisdayonline.com

Kurfi, A (1983), The Nigerian General Elections, 1958 and 1979, Lagos, Macmillan

Nigeria: Election Rigging : INEC Card Readers and PVC, Protect the polls - Quartz Africa, http://qz.com/africa- 2019

Offonagoro, W,(1979). The Story of the Nigerian General Elections, Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information 1981