An examination of election administration and voter turnout in Nigeria (2011- 2019)
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jili, N.N. and Akinola, A. O. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Olukunmi, Akanmu Temitope | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-06-26T10:32:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-06-26T10:32:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.description | A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Administration in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023]. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | The participation of the citizens in decisions on how a country is being governed is a crucial enterprise in a democratic entity. In Nigeria and every other developing democracy in the world, the credible and most available platform for citizens to participate in politics is election. However, this platform is witnessing a decline in the rate of voter turnout, which is a global challenge facing election throughout the world. The reality of Nigeria indicates that since 2011 to 2019, general elections in Nigeria have been characterized by declining voter turnout in all elections between the periods studied, from 52.6 % in 1999 to 35.6 % in 2019. A lot of reasons have been adjudged to be the cause of this declining voter turnout by extant literatures ranging from electoral violence, election fraud and apathy on the part of the voters. This research delved into the problem of decreasing voter turnout by investigating and identifying the ways in which the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) can influence the low voter turnout in Nigeria through their administration of election processes and procedures. The study looked at the root causes of low voter turnout and explores how Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) procedures contribute to low voter turnout. Using Political Participation Theory to look at increment in turnout as nothing but reasonable participatory form of democracy and decline in turnout as dissatisfaction with both the political class and the political system. While National Determinant Theory of the Determinant Theory of Voter Turnout to explain how those administrative processes and procedures of INEC in the conduct of elections serve as impediments to voters from accessing the ballot. The theory explains that voter behaviour is determined greatly by processes and procedures of INEC that prevent various categories of voters from carrying out their civic responsibility of voting, these election administrative processes and procedures have a national outlook and affect voting behaviour nationwide. This theory was also employed to analyze the universality of responses among election officials, security agents engaged in election security, and other groups of voters excluded from voting due to election administrative processes and procedures, as interviewed during the course of the research. The research also utilised theory of Election Administrative inclusiveness in the electoral process to explain causes of voter turnout that is based on the exclusion of the People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in the administration of election process and procedures in Nigeria. Furthermore, the theory was utilized to scrutinize diverse responses from participants interviewed, revealing that certain election administrative procedures in Nigeria appear stringent, cumbersome, and not voter friendly. Consequently, these procedures have violated the principle of election inclusiveness. It also identifies the impacts of low voter turnout on the outcome of elections in Nigeria and at the same time recommended futuristic innovations in election administration that can enhance voter turnout in Nigeria. The study adopted qualitative methodological approach as data for this study were sourced from both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data were sourced using semi-structured interview method to gather data from 30 respondents who were purposively selected based on their knowledge and experience on the electoral process in Nigeria especially during the period under review. While the data gathered was analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis. On the other hand, secondary data were sourced from relevant extant literatures on the subject matter. Hence, secondary data was sourced from textbooks, journal and magazine articles, newspaper reports, official documents and gazettes, and the Internet. The secondary data complemented the primary data for this study. The findings in this study indicated that election administrative processes and procedures of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was a major cause of low voter turnout in elections in Nigeria between 2011 and 2019, and that the ineptitude of these election administrative processes and procedures of INEC such as failure of INEC to allow election officials, security agents, domestic election observers and essential workers who are registered voters to vote, failure of INEC to provide polling units in new settlements and failure of polling unit set up by INEC to take care of the people with disabilities (PWDs) contributed immensely to the persistent low voter turnout being experienced in the electoral process in Nigeria in the period under review. Moreover, the study revealed that low voter turnout caused by ineptitude election administrative process and procedures of INEC posed immense danger to the electoral process and the country at large. Such danger as inequality of the electoral process was regarded as an affront to the principle of democracy that centres on the rule of the majority. It also perceived low voter turnout as an undermining factor to the legitimacy of the party declared winner and the possibility of the emergence of unpopular candidate which is the foundation to legitimacy crisis of any government that emanated from an election with low voter turnout. The study concludes by making several recommendations aimed at improving the electoral process in Nigeria. These recommendations include encouraging early voting by election officials, security agents, domestic election observers, and essential workers. The other recommendations also include the continuous establishment of additional polling units, particularly in newly developed areas, to ensure that residents in these areas have convenient access to polling stations without the need for extensive travel or facing logistical challenges and enhancing the setup of polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make it more accessible for people with disabilities (PWDs) to cast their votes easily, thereby ensuring that their voting rights are upheld. These proposed measures are considered forward-looking administrative innovations that INEC could adopt to reduce the disenfranchisement of voters and increase voter turnout in future Nigerian elections, ultimately serving as a progressive step towards enhancing voter participation in the country. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | OKUHUNYUSHWE NGOLIMI LWESIZULU ISIFINGQO Isifundo sihlola ngokuqhathanisa umthelela wezindleko zokuvota ekuphathweni kokuvota e Nigeria nase Mzansi Africa. Umbuzo obalulekile ukuthi, ngabe izindleko eziphezulu ezichithwa ezindlekweni zokuvota ziholela ekutheni izinhlaka zokuphatha (EMBs) ziphathe umsebenzi wokuvota ngeqophelo eliphezulu ukuze zikhiphe imiphumela yokuvota ethembekile eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika? Isifundo sihlola amazinga ezindleko zokuphatha izinhlelo zokuvota eNigeria nase Mzansi Afrika, zihlola ukusebenza kahle kokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria nasezansi Afrika, kuvezwa izinto eziwumthelela wokunyuka kwezindleko zokuvota eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika, kuhlolwe nemthelela yezindleko zokuvota ekusebenzeni kwezinhlaka zokuphatha (EMBs) ekuphathweni kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika; kwakhonjwa neminye imithelela ethonya ukuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Lesisifundo sivele sabaluleka njengoba kungekho ukuvumelana kwemibhalo ekhona ekutheni, izindleko ezichithwa okhethweni zichaza ukuzebenza kangcono kwezikhungo eziphethe ukhetho (EMBs) ekuphathweni nasekukhipheni imiphumela yokhetho ethembekile. Lesisfundo sifuna ukuqhathanisa indaba phakathi kweNigeria noMzansi Afrika. Lesisifundo sisebenzise ulwazi lokuqala nolwesibili oluqoqwe eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Sithathe umklamo wohlolocwaningo, indlela eyingqayizivele yokuqoqa nokucwaninga ulwazi, nocwaningo lwendlela yokutolika/yokwakha. Ulwazi lokuqala lwatholakala nokuxoxisana nabantu izigaba eziyizigamu. Kwakhethwa abantu abangamashumi amabili nanye (21) ukuze kuxoxiswane nabo ezikhungweni zokuvota ezibambe iqhaza kulamazwe ekufundwa ngawo, mayelana nesipiliyoni, ubuchwepheshe Kanye nokuzibandakanya kwabo ekuhlelweni kwezindleko zokhetho, Kanye nokusetshenziswa kwemali ekuphathweni kokhetho kulamazwe. Ulwazi olutholakele luhlaziywe ngendlela esezingeni eliphezulu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ulwazi lwesibili lutholakale ezincwadini, kumajenali, amaphephabhuku, amaphephandaba, amadokhumenti omthetho namagazethi ne-intanethi. Ulwazi lwesibili kutholakale ukuthi luyahambisana nelokuqala lwalesifundo. Ngokombhalo lesifundo sithathe itiyori yokuqhathanisa phakathi kwezinsizakusebenza Kanye namakhono (RBV)ukuqhuba ukuqonda ubudlelwano phakathi kwezindleko Kanye nokuphathwa kokhetho. Kutholakale ukuthi izindleko zokuphatha ukhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika kunyuke ngezinga eliphezulu kusuka ngo 1994 no 1999 ngokwahlukana. Ekusebenzeni kahle kokuphathwa kokhetho kulamazwe, isifundo sithole ukuthi nakuba kube nokuthuthuka ekuphatheni kokhetho eNigeria, kusanezingqinamba ezinkulu ezehlela inqubo, eqhubeka nokwehlisa izinga eliphezulu kanye nempumelelo yokuphathwa kokhetho. Kanti ohlangothini lwaseMzansi Afrika, izinga lempumelelo etholakale ekuphathweni kokhetho kulemnyaka edlulile inyuke kakhulu nakuba nayo ihambisana nezingqinamba. Isifundo siveza ukuthi kunemithelela ethize nevamile ebangela ukukhula kwezindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Phakathi kwemthelela evamile kubalwa ukwehla kwamandla mali, ukwanda komphakathi ovotayo Kanye nokwanda kwamaqembu ezepolitiki, nokushintshisana kwemali phakathi kwamazwe, ukulangazelela kweKhomishani yokuvota ukuthuthukisa uhlelo lokuvota, nokunyuka kobuciko bokuphatha ukhetho, kanye nokunye. Kanti eNigeria kutholakale ubukhulu bezwe nokwanda komphakathi kanye nezinga eliphezulu lokhetho olungathembakali noluntengayo, kanti eMzansi Afrika kutholakale ukuthi imali yabelwa amaqembu ezepolitiki, kuvota abantu abaphesheya kolwandle, kunohlelo lokuvota olukhethekile, imibango kanye nokunye. Kutholakale nokuthi nakuba izindleko zokhetho zidalelwe ukuphathwa kahle kokhetho, izindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria azikhombisanga ukuthuthuka kokusebenza kweKhomishini ezimele yaseiNgeria (INEC) ekuphathweni kokhetho nokukhipha imiphumela ethembekile. eMzansi Afrika izindleko ezichithwe okhethweni zibe nomthelela onzulu ekusebenzeni kwenhlangano yokuvota ezimele (IEC) eminyakeni edlule. Ngaphezu kwalokho isifundo siveze ukuthi lamazwe asingethwe eminye imithelela ethize nevamile ngale kwezindleko ezinomthelela yokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Phakathi kwemithelela evamile kubalwa izindlela zokuphathwa nokwabiwa kwezinsizakusebenza, ezomthetho, imikhawulo, Kanye nabantu abazosebenza ukuqhuba ukhetho, Kanye nokunye. Kanti eNigeria, kunemithelela efana nengcindezi nokungenelela kwezepolitiki kwezinhlaka zezepolitiki ezahlukene ezweni, ukungabi khona kwezinguquko ezinzulu okhethweni, kanye nokuqeqeshwa kwabasebenzi beKhomishani (INEC), intando yezepolitiki nezinhlelo zokuqokwa kwezinhloko zeKhomishana (INEC), kanye nokunye, kuyaqhubeka nokuba nomthelela ekuphathweni kokhetho. Kanti eMzansi Afrika kunomthelela wokushoda kwezinsizakusebenza, udlame, ukukhwabanisa, ukungafundiseki kwabavoti, kanye nomthelela wobandlululo. Isifundo sikhombisa ukuthi nakuba izindleko zibalulekile ekuphathweni kokhetho, kodwa akusho ukuthi izindleko eziphezulu zizoqinisekisa ukusebenza ngezinga eliphezulu kwezinhlaka zokuvota (EMBs) ekuphatheni ukhetho nokuletha imiphumela ethembekile, ngokunjalo eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Phakathi kokunye isifundo sense izincomo zokuthi kunesidingo esiphuthumayo sokuthi iPhalamende laseMzansi Africa linyuse isabelomali, kanye nemali yeKhomishini yokuvota ezimele (IEC), ukuthuthukisa umsebenzi wokuphathwa kokhetho, nokuthi iINEC yaseNigeria ne IEC yaseMzansi Afrika kumele basebenzise abantu ababodwa njalo uma kunokhetho ukuze kunciphe izindleko zokuqeqesha abantu abasha njalo uma kunokhetho, nokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bagcina bewochwepheshe ekuphatheni ukhetho ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ngaphezu kwalokho womabili amaphalamende elaseNigeria nelaseMzansi Afrika nabaphathi bezinhlaka zikahulumeni kumele bakhombise ukuzimbandakanya, bakhombise nentshisekelo yokuqinisekisa izimpendulo kumaKhomishini okhetho kulamazwe. | zu |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://uzspace.unizulu.ac.za/handle/10530/2518 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Zululand | |
| dc.title | An examination of election administration and voter turnout in Nigeria (2011- 2019) | en |
| dc.title.alternative | Election cost and turnout assessment | en |
| dc.type | Thesis |