OBSERVER GROUPS AND ELECTORAL DEMOCRATIZATION IN AFRICA THE CASE OF NIGERIA

OBSERVER GROUPS AND ELECTORAL DEMOCRATIZATION IN AFRICA THE CASE OF NIGE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 

1.1        Background of the study

1.2        Statement of problem

1.3        Objective of the study

1.4        Research questions

1.5        Significance of the study

1.6        Scope and limitation of the study

1.7       Definition of terms

1.8       Organization of the study

CHAPTER TWO

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE

3.0        Research methodology

3.1    sources of data collection

3.3        Population of the study

3.4        Sampling and sampling distribution

3.5        Validation of research instrument

3.6        Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introductions

4.2 Data analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

Appendix

Abstract

The study is on observers groups and electoral democratization in Africa with emphasis on Nigeria its conduct and general outcomes. This study reflects on efforts by African countries to employ election observation assessments through domestic and international observers based on the obligation to comply with public international law. This study argues that basing election observation reports on legal commitments from public international law using the peace democratic theory approach articulated by the Cater Centre may enhance objectivity. The study is a content analysis of the peace democratic theory approach and observation reports made in selected African countries. Results indicate contradictions on findings of the same election by different international observers. An integrated peace democratic theory framework on election observation should be developed by the African Union, and other international bodies in Africa. This may strengthen voter confidence and improve electoral democracy in the continent. The study recommends that political parties need to educate voters and parties

Keyword: Foreign election observers, obligations-based approach, domestic observer

                                        CHAPTER ONE

                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Nigeria, like most post independent African states is mired in the crisis of under development. The crisis manifested itself in economic, social and political terms. The nation’s politics has become characterized by a winner takes all attitude resulting in violence, corruption, and the entertainment of what is known or called antidevelopment politics. Agreed that military and successive civilian administrations have contributed to this parlous state of affairs, yet the behaviour of Nigerian politicians leaves much to be desired. (Babatunde, 2007). Indeed, it can be emphatically asserted that between 1999-2015, there has been an absence of the politics of relevance in Nigeria. That is, politics geared towards the development of the nation and improvement in the material well-being of the generality of the people. This led to clarion call for change instead of continuity of the Peoples’ Democracy Party that ruled the country for sixteen years. The change can only come about through free and fair election under the watchful eyes of local and international observers. The 2015 general is very important because of the global ramification which will be discussed in the cause of this essay. It is interesting to know that elections which normally is a scheduled routine event in which citizens select those who take decisions on their behalf, have become almost the defining events in the Nigeria national life. That is, elections in Nigeria today are defined in terms such as do –or die, the capture of offices by all means. Yet, this is not unique to Nigeria. Globally, elections have acquired an iconic character and elections have become one of the most visible occupations across the global village. (Attahru. J. 2011) International election observers criss-cross the world today and increasingly   Democracy is about effective and efficient representation and delivery of the dividends of good governance to the masses (Diamond 1992, Aiyede 2003). Civil society is sine qua non to democratic governance, which explicitly is about providing social security, expanding and advocating for economic opportunities, rule of law, freedom of press, nipping in the bud ethnoreligious violence, provision of basic infrastructural facilities, guarantee of oppositions, and a regular free and fair election. However, because the state represents the interest of the ruling class, whose interest is to perpetually control the apparatus of state power and machinery of government at all cost, the interest of the people especially in emerging democracies in Africa tend to be disregarded(Bayart 1980, Ikelegbe 2007, Hearn 2001). Coupled with this is the poverty of democracy in Africa which is manifest in the rising profiles of poverty, dictatorship, human rights abuses, hunger, insecurity, endemic corruption and bribery, environmental degradation, diseases, illiteracy, gender violence and underdevelopment(Abutudu 1995)

As Fatton (1995)observed, the states in Africa are incapacitated and irresponsive to the wellbeing of the people which it claims to protect. In the midst of these ad infinitum problems, the civil society is therefore, expected to serve as a watch dog against excesses of government and capitalists by providing a platform for aggregating and championing the interest of the people both in urban and rural areas to demand delivery of good governance from the government. This paper is therefore, an attempt to examine civil society and democratic governance in Nigeria’s fourth republic from historical perspective. What we set to achieve is to assess the extent to which civil society in Africa’s most populous country-Nigeria, has been able to stimulate the entrenchment of good governance since the return to democratic rule in I999. The study notes that although, civil society played immense role in agitation for military exit in Nigerian politics, they have not done enough to nurture the democracy since I999.

In general, election observation is informed by two distinct but closely linked major objectives: Firstly, the interest of foreign policy to back good governance in developing countries by recognizing legitimate elections and governments. In what is to follow, this will be called (for the sake of argument) the “diplomatic objective”. Secondly, election observation is meant to assist the process of democratization and the development of a human rights culture. This will be called the “aid objective”. Both components share the ultimate aim of any development cooperation, i. e. to make itself redundant by entrenching innovations (like democracy) deep within each nation through capacity-building (EU 2002: 5-6). Of course, both elections and their observation are open-ended processes. Obviously, nobody should restrain observer missions from refusing the stamp of “free and fair” to elections on the grounds of the observer team’s own observations. The consequences of this evaluation within the framework of performance-based aid allocation, as outlined for example by the Cotonou agreement of 2000 for ACP countries (cf. Loquai 2001), should apply to all governments, not just to those of powerless small countries, like in the case of the presidential elections in Togo in 1998 and Kazakhstan in 1999. Unfortunately, double standards and rigged rules of the observing agencies have been a major problem of international election observation right from the beginning. For this reason, scholars concerned with the improvement of this policy tool have repeatedly called for increasing professionalism and target-directed implementation (cf. Engel et al 1996; Mair 1997).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Within the last decade, democracy can arguably be said to be the most sought after and yet the least understood system of government known to mankind. The collapse of the authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe, the end of the cold war and an upsurge of natural agitations in many parts of the world seem to have opened the flood gates for new definition of the concept of democracy. (Tunde Babawale 2007) Schumpeter. J. (2003) defines it as an institutional agreement for arriving at political decisions in which individual acquires the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for people’s vote. Dahl, R (2006) advances the argument further to make it inclusive of high level of civil liberties participations, and political pluralism. To sum up, what characterizes democracy, it has also been defined as “the government of the people by the people and for the people” (Edson Howard, 2000). It is clear from all these definitions that democracy has certain empirical referents which may be identified as follows: meaningful competitions among individuals and organized groups, especially the political parties for all the elective positions of government power, at regular intervals and excluding the use of force, a high level of political participation in the selection of leaders and policies at least through regular and fair elections, and a level of civil and political liberties, freedom of expression freedom of the press, freedom to join organizations, sufficient to ensure the integrity of political competition and participation in Nigeria.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the efficacy of observers group and electoral democratization in Africa with emphasis on Nigeria. But to aid the completion of the study, the researcher intend to achieve the following specific objectives;

1. i) To examine the role of observers group in the general elections and democratization in Africa
2. ii) To ascertain if there is any significant relationship between observers group and the credibility of the electoral process

iii) To examine the impact of observers group in the consolidation of democracy in Africa

1. iv) To examine the influence of observers group on the conduct of free and fair election in Nigeria.

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;

H₀: there is no significant relationship between observers group and the credibility of the electoral process

H₁: there is a significant relationship between observers group and the credibility of the electoral process

H₀: observers group does not play any significant role in the general elections and democratization in Africa

H₂: observers group does play a significant role in the general elections and democratization in Africa

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were formulated by the researcher to aid the successful completion of the study;

1. i) Does observers group play any role in the general elections and democratization in Africa?
2. ii) Is there any significant relationship between observers group and the credibility of the electoral process?

iii) Does observers group has any impact in the consolidation of democracy in Africa?

1. iv) Does observers group influence the conduct of free and fair election in Nigeria?

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the management of bodies or organizations saddle with the responsibility of conducting election as the study seek to explore the role of observers group in the consolidation of democracy in Africa. The study will also be of great importance to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point to further research, the study will also be of great importance to Nigeria’s independent national electoral commission (INEC) as the study seek to examine the role of observers and the need to conduct election without fear or favor but credible, fair and transparency to meet international best practice. Finally, the study will be of importance to students, teachers, academia’s and the general public as the study will contribute to the pool of existing literature and also contribute to knowledge on the subject matter.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers observers group and electoral democratization in Africa with emphasis on Nigeria, but in the cause of the study, there are some factors that limited the scope of the study;

Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Observer group

Observer Groups are groups formed to monitor elections in various countries around the world. Each group is usually made up of various statesmen from various countries in the Commonwealth of Nations. The job of each Group is to assess whether the elections are conducted fairly.

Democratization

Democratization is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction.

Election

An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century

Electoral system

An electoral system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Political electoral systems are organized by governments, while non-political elections may take place in business, non-profit organizations and informal organizations

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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