1. This research is about the conduct of elections and its effect on national security. The study was geared at determining 4 distinct objectives. These are to establish the relationship between conduct of election and national security. Thereafter, the nature of Nigeria electoral process would be examined. The implications of electoral process on the national security were then established. Finally ways of enhancing the conduct of elections in Nigeria were proffered.
2. The descriptive research method was used for the study. The research revealed that conduct of elections is a means to achieving national security. It was further discovered that Nigeria’s electoral process the FPTP system has an inherent shortfall in the area of under-representation of minority groups. This often leads to disenchantment and violence. Furthermore, the study revealed the need for a review of the aspect of the constitution relating to the appointment and removal of chairman and membership of INEC. In the same vein, the study stressed the pitfall on the reliance of the electoral management body (EMB) on the executive for the approval of its financial budget.
3. To this end, adopting the Proportional Representatives Electoral system and the funding of INEC from established consolidated revenue is considered expedient. Also, the imperatives of labour and civil societies playing a key role in constituting members of EMB were highlighted.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY………………………………… 1-2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM………………………………. 3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY…………………………………… 4
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS............................................
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………………… 4-5
SCOPE OF THE STUDY..…………………………………………. 5-6
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY…………………………... 8
ASSUMPTIONS..................................................... 9
ENDNOTES………………………………………………………. 10-11
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW PAGE (S)
CONCEPT OF ELECTION ………………………………………. 8-9
CONCEPT OF ELECTORAL PROCESS......................... 9-11
CONCEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY..........................
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND NATIONAL SECURITY..............................................
BASIC LEVEL OF NATIONAL SECURITY....................
SUMMARY………………………………………………………….. 19-20
ENDNOTES…………………………………………………………. 21-22
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY PAGE (S)
RESEARCH DESIGN…………………………………………….. 23
METHODOLOGY………………….………………………………. 23
AREA OF THE STUDY…………………………………………… 24
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE………………...... 24
INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION…………………... 24-25
POPULATION............................................................
VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENT..................................
RELIABILITY OF INSTRUMENT..................................
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION...............................
PROPOSED METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS.................
WEAKNESS OF THE STUDY……………………………......... 25
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER……………………………….... 25
ENDNOTES................................................................
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS PAGE (S)
DATA ANALISYS…….………………………………………… 26-33
ELECTORAL CONFLICTS IN BENIN REPUBLIC……… 33-36
CAUSES OF ELECTORAL CONFLICTS IN
BENIN REPUBLIC……..………………………………………. 37-40
THE WAY FORWORD………………………………………… 40-43
SUMMARY………………………………………………………… 43-44
ENDNOTES………………………………………………………… 45-46
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE (S)
CONCLUSION………………………………………………… 47-49
RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………… 49
ANNEX A............................................................. A-1-
ANNEX B............................................................ B-1-
ANNEX C............................................................ C-1-
REFERENCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………… 50-51
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1. Over the years, nations have risen and fallen due to the deeds or misdeeds of its leaders. Good leadership can determine the success or failure of a country as it inspires, directs and mobilizes the citizens to pursue a common goal. The role of leadership in the success of nations has necessitated the quest for a viable means of selecting leaders. Robert Art defines leadership as one of the most dynamic elements of organizational life such that the effectiveness of an organization depends on the quality of its leadership.1 Consequently, nations strive to select efficient and effective leaders through the consent of the governed. The mechanism for translating this consent into governmental authority is by the use of a democratic process.
2. The democratic process of selecting a leader is referred to as elections. Election is the process of selecting a few persons from a group as representative sample of the group. It is an essential element of democracy since it reflects the wishes of the people.2 Attesting to this, Bello-Imam a renowned political scientist define election as the process by which citizens choose their representatives in accordance with mechanism fixed by the constitution or established government of a state.3 The origin of elections can be traced to ancient Roman and Greek empires in the Twelfth Century. In those empires, election is done with voting by show of hands and acclamation by voice. In some other situations, decisions were made by use of secret ballots in the form of white and black pebbles, marked or unmarked shell or carved wooden tablets.4
3. Globally elections, follow processes which differ from nation to nation. These processes may include the selection of candidates, the registration of voters and the voting procedures amongst others. These procedures are unique and differ from one country to another. For example, in USA, the National Government established federal electoral requirements, which many of the states adopt to reduce cost and avoid the complexity of having two different systems.5
4. In Africa electoral processes are confronted by several challenges especially in countries emerging from oppressive regimes or long periods of dictatorship. This is because the electoral processes in nascent democracies involve fragmented political parties with weak political base. These political parties depend on few notable personalities or a shared ethnic identity and affinity.6 In such instances, reason and competence of the candidates are sacrificed for religion, ethnicity or parochial cleavages. Regrettably, national development efforts suffer setbacks due to leadership incompetence.
5. Several scholars have argued that the greatest problem confronting African countries are the prevailing political condition in the conduct of elections. The right people are rarely elected and seldom opportune to steer the affairs state. Sunil in agreement, observed that one of the greatest challenges to confronting national development among African is political leadership.8 Nigeria is no exception in this regard.
6. Nigeria has conducted several elections since independence. These elections include the 1965, 1983 and 1979 general elections. Others are the 1999, 2003 and the 2007 general elections. These elections have been fraught with malpractice and violence giving the perception that it does not reflect the will of the people.9 When an electoral process is perceived as unfair, unresponsive or corrupt, its political legitimacy is compromised and violence can ensue. Also, notwithstanding the credibility of an election, a desperate loser candidate can at times precipitate violence. In such an instance, resources which could have been used for developmental projects are channeled to mitigating violence or rebuilding destroyed infrastructure.
7. Bob Dewar, the former British High Comm
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