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A Political Economy Analysis of Inconclusive Election in Nigeria

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A Political Economy Analysis of Inconclusive Election in Nigeria International Journal of Creative Research and Studies Volume-2 Issue-10, October-2018 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CREATIVE RESEARCH AND STUDIES www.ijcrs.org ISSN-0249-4655 A POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF INCONCLUSIVE ELECTION IN NIGERIA UHEMBE AHAR CLEMENT DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LAFIA PMB 146, LAFIA NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA Abstract This paper is an attempt to proffer a political economy reflection on the new phenomenon of inconclusive election in Nigeria. The paper argues that inconclusive election in Nigeria ought to have been a political instrument to strengthen the electoral process and make it robust and steady the polity but it appears to have exacerbated the weak electoral process. By way of Marxist political economy analysis, the paper posit that the new dangerous phenomenon have provided financial burden and security problems to the three tires of the Nigerian government; Federal, State and local Government. The paper investigates the cost and causes of inconclusive election and its sadism which is becoming legendary. The paper postulates that the serious signal of inconclusive election in Nigeria has the spectra of actually reversing the democratic being of the past 19yrs if care is not taken. We have to just nip it in the bud and do everything possible. The objective of the paper is to recommend that, for a free, fair and credible election, the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must not only produce guidelines and regulations to protect sanity of the votes but must be seen to be unbiased. Keywords: Inconclusive election, run off, re run off, bye election INEC www.ijcrs.org Page | 102 International Journal of Creative Research and Studies ISSN-0249-4655 Introduction The subject matter under investigation is the discourse of the political economy analysis of Hydra monster called inconclusive election. Professor Mahmood Yakubu a professor of History and International studies in the PUNCH newspaper of August 20, 2016 avert that he and his commission would not be able to guarantee conclusive election in 2019, lay credence to the concept of inconclusive election gain prominence hence the need to do an X lay of the subject matter through the lens of Marxist political economy application. The problem associated with inconclusive election is enormous ranging from financial burden, security, awareness and mass education. The aim and objectives of this analysis is to highlight on the possible dangers that have arises from inconclusive elections like combating the concept of inconclusive election to substitute for real election especially in a situation where one contender is not sure of winning at the first balloting. This person might result to promoting acts that are capable of providing grounds for inconclusive election. This culture or phenomenon if allowed to continue may become a major danger to democracy. We are not unmindful of key contenders arising from the growth in democratic participatory theory with increased new value attached to the dividend of democracy. This new consciousness can activates mass voters participation that will reduced the margin of winners and create a plat form arising from any disruption in the pulling units thereby rendering election or such a unit inconclusive. This paper therefore seeks to address these dynamics associated with inconclusive elections in Nigeria. The lens and instruments are therefore the Marxist political economy which probe the in depth issues and rejects the superficial analysis with the view to arriving at it historical dialectics analysis. The paper has provided tables of selected cases of inconclusive election as evidence in the growth of this hydro monster phenomenon. Conceptual Frame of Reference Election is a formal decision- making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. It has also been described as a celebration of democracy whereby the electorates are given the opportunity to elect leaders who will take charge of governance within a given period of time. Indeed, because it is a process and not an event, election management bodies worldwide deploy human and material resources in a bid to enhance free, fair and credible process; this, perhaps, underscores why the electoral cycle stipulates pre-election, election and post-election activities. In recent times in Nigeria, however, the process has assumed a new but dangerous dimension, with its history becoming replete with inconclusive polls. For the purpose of clarity, better understanding and conceptual operationalization, it is germane to consider the basic concepts that will be often used in the subject matter of inconclusive election. Elections According to INEC, an election can be defined as a process where people vote for preferred candidates or political parties as representative in government. General Election General election means election held in the federation which may be at all levels and at regular intervals to select officers to serve after the expiration of the full terms of the predecessors. Bye election A bye election is an election to replace a member of any of our legislative houses following a vacancy occasioned by death. www.ijcrs.org Page | 103 International Journal of Creative Research and Studies Volume-2 Issue-10, October-2018 A run-off election A run-off election is an election conducted when the first election falls to produce a clear winner for the position of president or governor. This can happen when the candidate with the highest votes does not have the require vote spread in the affected state/federation. Re run election A re run election is an election conducted when the first one was marred by malpractices or when correct procedures are not followed. An Inconclusive election An inconclusive election is an election where the total number of registered votes in unites where the results are cancelled or where the election are post pond, are sufficient to cause a change in the outcome of the election in the affected constituency. Historical Dialectic of Inconclusive Election in Nigeria The Independent National Electoral Commission stated that inconclusive election is not new in Nigeria electoral history. Dr. Oluwole Osazeuzzi, made the declaration at a CSO Expert Group meeting on electoral Reform organized by the commission in conjuction with the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group Abuja (2018). He cited instances of election that were inconclusive in the past such as the 1979 Unity Party of Nigeria that lead to the challenge of that presidential election between late chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Osaze uzzi (2018) argues that if the commission doesn’t take decision of declaring flawed election inconclusive it would mean a reward or an encouragement of violence and malpractices, claiming that doing otherwise will amount to a breach of the constitution, the Electoral Act and the fundamentals of Nigeria’s democratic ethos. The constitution and the Act provides that where there is over voting, section 53 of the Electoral Act requires INEC to declare the result null and void, make no return on the election result and fix another date to conduct the election where the number of registered voters will make a difference to the outcome of the election. Sub section 26(2) of the Electoral ACT states that, ‘‘there shall be no return for the election until pulling has taken place in the area or areas affected’’ while sub section 4 of section 26 stipulates a provision that a declaration might be made if the result in the affected area would not affect the overall outcome of the election. Sub section 5 of the section grants focus to any of the candidate to challenge INEC’s decision in this regard. Election is a formal decision making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. It has also being described as a celebration of democracy whereby the electorates are given the opportunity to elect leaders who will take charge of governance within a given period of time. This important instrument needs to be handled with greater care than it is current being done in Nigeria under the umbrella of INEC. Amina (2018) averred that: ‘‘ faced with circumstances and around with the legal provision, INEC in an attempt to be fair to all, and to move away from the established syndrome of ‘‘announce the result at any cost and leave it to the courts’’ usually involves the relevant sections to declare election inconclusive pending determination of the winner through supplementary elections’’ however, as the 2018 gubernatorial inconclusive election was announced, hopes of many Nigerians in the different political parties were dashed. Political analysis opines that cases of inconclusive elections in the country are rampant in recent times. The observed that inconclusive elections occurred recently in governorship election in Taraba, Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa, www.ijcrs.org Page | 104 International Journal of Creative Research and Studies ISSN-0249-4655 Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and in the FCT Area council election. While critics attribute the development to incompetence on the part of Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), perspective stake holders insist that INEC has become more meticulous and compliant with the provision of the electoral Act. This observation notwithstanding, analysts note that elections in recent times have become keener with the introduction of some values and checks mechanism to the country’s electoral system. According to them, each vote now counts
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