ELECTION OBSERVER GROUPS AND CREDIBILITY OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

                                        INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Election Observation has become an integral part of elections in Nigeria and also contributed greatly to the growth of democracy in the country, as observer reports have been known to vet elections and instill  citizens confidence in the administration of elections. Over the past six years, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has observed and followed the electoral process in Nigeria. In this time, there have been two general elections in 2011 and 2015 consisting of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections as well as the Governorship and State Assembly Elections, and several off cycle governorship elections following both the 2011 and 2015 general election. Nigerian Civil Society groups working on good governance related issues under the platform of the Situation Room have actively engaged and observed the electoral process in this time including all the elections conducted in Nigeria since 2011. Its interventions have strengthened the Electoral Management Body, the Independent National Electoral Commission. Election observation has, thus, emerged as one of the most tangible and significant dimensions of democratic development around the globe. According to the United Nations (2012) in more than 90 countries on five continents over the last two decades, millions of citizens have joined non-partisan election observation and monitoring efforts to ensure electoral integrity and promote accountability in government and among political contestants (INEC, 2014:19). Election observer groups has helped in safeguarding genuine elections, mitigating potentials for conflict, and promoting accountability and democratic development. Election Observers help build public confidence in the honesty of electoral processes. Observation can help promote and protect the civil and political rights of participants in elections. It can lead to the correction of errors or weak practices, even while an election process is still under way. In so many ways, it has  deter manipulation and fraud, or expose such problems if they do occur. Thus, When Election observer groups can issue positive reports, it builds trust in the democratic process and enhances the legitimacy of the governments that emerge from elections. Election observation by domestic groups encourages civic involvement in the political process. Following elections, reports and recommendations by observer groups can lead to changes and improvements in national law and practice. Any election can be enhanced by observation, but comprehensive observation is particularly helpful in countries like Nigeria in which a significant proportion of the population may lack trust in the electoral system. Post-conflict countries are among the best examples of this, but the same may be true of countries holding their first democratic elections, new democracies that have held very few elections, countries with weak human rights records, or countries with extremely strong executive powers and long-time rulers. It is a good practice for all countries to welcome international and domestic observers. There are many practical issues to consider before deciding whether and how to observe an election:

1.Does the election law make provision for Election observer groups?

2.Will they be allowed into polling stations and counting centers?

3. Do observers have clear rights under the law to receive copies of official documents and election result protocols, and to collect other information?

4.Will the election management body or another authority provide accreditation?

5. Are sufficient personnel available for the observation? Do they have the necessary expertise, or can they be trained in time?

If the answer to one or more of these questions is no, then a credible observation may not be possible.

 

Basically, an observation mission should start its work months before election day, reviewing the legal framework, monitoring voters registration and candidate registration, evaluating the work of election management bodies, assessing the political campaign, and following media coverage of the election. It should observe developments around the country, not just in the capital city.

On election day, the long-term observation team  should be supplemented by a large number of short-term observers whose task is to follow up on developments at polling stations and monitor the vote count. In the best cases, observation missions will be able to arrange full-time coverage of every polling station. Domestic observer groups are usually better able than international observers to organize such large missions. When it is not possible to cover all or most of the polling stations, a representative sample should be observed, including urban and rural polling stations in all parts of the country; the larger the sample, the more accurate the results, provided the sample is truly representative. Observation of several hundred representative polling stations can produce an excellent statistical sample. Polling station observers should be trained on what to look for and asked to fill out standard forms or checklists that can be used to assess national trends. (INEC Guidelines for Election Observation) At the end of the observation process, an Election observer group should issue a report conveying its findings and assessments of the election process. It is particularly important to assess whether an election was held in accordance with domestic law and with international standards for democratic elections. Observation reports should highlight any weaknesses in the election process and should provide recommendations for improvement. Experiential situations in election observation and events unfolding during elections have shown that attempts aimed at observing elections may be faced with a lot of challenges like Lack of Adequate Training/Ignorance of the Guidelines for Election Observation, Security Challenges, Lack of Independence, Inadequate Funding, Accreditation, Lack of Instruments for Enforcing Observe or groups Recommendations.( INEC 2004,9 Chigudu 2015).

 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It appears the practice of election observation is not new. The first recorded international observation being that of the general election in Moldavia in 1857 Gray Et al (2002).Election observation may have undergone considerable development and change, particularly over the past two decades. The United Nations (UN) gave rise to new expectations in the conduct of election observation. This was noticeable when it was involved in the conduct of elections in South Africa, Cambodia, Namibia Nicaragua and Nigeria. Scholars and researchers have wondered what the purpose of such observation is, how it is conducted and what benefits, if any, emanate from it. It is worthwhile to question the importance of international election observation and whether it is a valid and reliable means of verifying that an election is legitimate and has been conducted with integrity. For many, election observation is perceived as being able to objectively and independently assess and report on the integrity or otherwise of the diverse elements of an electoral process. Yet the observers report has not been able to influence the outcome of election. It is in view of this that the researcher intend to examine the efficacy of observers group and electoral democratization in Africa.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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

1. How did the electoral environment impinge on the operational modalities and activities of election observer groups in the 2019 general election in Nigeria?
2. How have election observer groups’ reports impacted on the outcome and credibility of the 2019 general election in Nigeria?

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This study has both broad and specific objectives. The broad objective of the study is to examine the Election Observer Groups and Credibility of the Electoral Process.

On the other hand, the specific objectives of this study are as follow:

1. To examine whether the electoral environment impinged on the operational modalities and activities of election observer groups in the 2019 general election in Nigeria.
2. To determine how election observer groups’ reports have impacted on the outcome and credibility of the 2019 general election in Nigeria.

1.5 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 election observer groups in the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. 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.

 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers Election observer groups and Credibility of the electoral process in Nigeria: A study of 2019 general election. In the  course of the study, relevant literature were reviewed which will aid the successful.

1.7 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The study is guided by the following hypotheses:

1. The electoral environment impinged on the operational modalities and activities of election observer groups in the 2019 general election in Nigeria.
2. The election observer groups’ reports have not impacted positively on the outcome and credibility of the 2019 general election in Nigeria.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Election 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.

Credibility: reputation Impacting one’s ability to be believed.

Electoral process: An electoral process  is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined.

 

 

 

REFERENCE

Adebisi, A & Loremikan, S. (2013) Election Observation in Nigeria: Prop or Threat to Democratic Consolidation? Canadian Social Science Vol. 9, No. 6, (Pp. 140-146)

African Union (2013). African Union Election Observation Manual. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: African Union Commission

Alahira, N. D., Manu, A. & Musa, M. (2014) Elections, Electoral Process and the Challenges of Democratization in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.4, No.17 (Pp 93-102).

Brahm, E. (2014) Election Monitoring. Retrieved from: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/election-monitoring (07/04/2016)

Chigudu, D. (2015). Foreign Election Observers in Africa: Towards an Obligations-Based Approach. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 6 No. 1 (Pp 276-278)

European Union (2016) Handbook for European Union Election Observation (Third Edition). Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union

INEC (2014) INEC Guidelines for Election Observation. Retrieved from: http://www.inecnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/INECGUIDELINES-FOR-ELECTION-OBSERVATION2.pdf (07/04/2016

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) (1999) The Future of International Electoral Observation: Lessons Learned and Recommendations. Sweden: International IDEA.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) (1998). Asian Monitoring Network Conference. Washington, DC: NDI

Osabiya, B. J. (2014) Nigeria and Democratic Elections. Journal of Good Governance and Sustainable  Development in Africa (JGGSDA), Vol. 2, No 3, (Pp 53-4).

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