The cost of elections and election administration: a comparison of Nigeria and South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jili, N. N. and Akinola,A. O. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ojedokun, Babatunde Abayomi | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-06-26T13:47:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-06-26T13:47:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023]. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | The study comparatively examined the influence of electoral costs on election administration in Nigeria and South Africa. The crucial question, therefore, was that whether higher costs expended on election administration translate to better performance in election administration by the election management bodies (EMBs) to produce credible elections in Nigeria and South Africa? The study therefore, examined the level of the costs of election administration in Nigeria and South Africa; assessed how efficient election administration is in Nigeria and South Africa; appraised the factors impacting on the rising costs of election administration in Nigeria and South Africa; examined the influence of electoral costs on the performance of EMBs in election administration in Nigeria and South Africa; and identified other factors influencing election administration in Nigeria and South Africa. This study became important as there remains a general lack of consensus in existing literature on whether the costs expended on election administration translate into better performance of the EMBs in election administration and delivery of credible elections. This study sought to comparatively establish the case for Nigeria and South Africa. The study utilized primary and secondary data sourced from Nigeria and South Africa. It adopted the exploratory research design, the qualitative method of data collection and analysis, and the interpretivist/constructivist research paradigm. Primary data was sourced using semi-structured interviews. A total of twenty-one (21) key informant interviewees (KIIs) were purposively selected from relevant electoral stakeholders in the countries of study, based on their experiences, expertise and practical involvement in electoral costs/budgeting, and election administration in the countries. Data collected was analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. On the other hand, secondary data was sourced from relevant extant literature 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. Theoretically, the study adopted the resource-based view (RBV) theory of management to further the understanding of the relationship between electoral costs and election administration. The RBV theory was used to further buttress how resources available to the electoral commission influences election administration in South Africa, while the submission of the framework was refuted for the case of Nigeria, wherein it is not always the case that better level of efficiency in election administration was achieved when more resources were deployed in election administration. While the assumption of the framework was therefore, valid for South Africa, it was not the case for Nigeria. Findings show that the costs of election administration in Nigeria and South Africa have been rising astronomically since 1999 and 1994 respectively. On the efficiency in election administration in the countries, the study found that while there have been improvements in election administration in Nigeria, there are still serious perennial challenges besetting the process, which continue to undermine high level of efficiency in election administration. Whereas, for South Africa, the level of efficiency attained in election administration over the years, is relatively high, albeit, with embedded challenges too. The study also revealed that both common and specific factors continue to influence the rising costs of election administration in Nigeria and South Africa. Among the common factors are inflation, rising voting population and number of political parties, foreign exchange volatility, the quest by the electoral commissions to improve the electoral process, and the increasing use of technologies for election administration, etc. Specifically for Nigeria, the large size of the country and huge population, high spate of electoral insecurity, and staggered elections were identified; while for South Africa, monies allotted to political parties, overseas voting, special vote system, and increased electoral litigations, etc. were identified. Findings also revealed that while electoral costs are generally germane for successful election administration, the costs expended on election administration in Nigeria has not culminated in better performance of the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in election administration and delivery of credible elections. Whereas, for South Africa, the costs expended on election administration has glaringly impacted on the performance of the South African Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over the years. Furthermore, the study showed that a host of other common and specific factors, other than costs influence election administration in Nigeria and South Africa. Among the common factors are logistics challenges, legal requirements, and restrictions, and partial and partisan ad-hoc electoral officers, etc. Specifically for Nigeria, factors such as pressure and political interference from diverse political actors in the country, lack of critical electoral reforms and proper training of INEC personnel, political will, and the appointment procedures of principal officers of INEC, etc. continue to influence election administration. For South Africa, economic realities (scarce resources), violence, gerrymandering, poor voter education, and the lingering impact of apartheid, etc. are some of the other factors influencing election administration in the country. The study concluded that whereas electoral costs are important for successful election administration, nevertheless, it is not always the case that higher electoral costs will guarantee better performance of EMBs in the election administration and delivery of credible elections, just as the cases of Nigeria and South Africa have shown. Among others, the study made some recommendations that there is the urgent need for the South African parliament to increase the budget and funding of the IEC, to improve their performance in election administration; and that both the Nigerian INEC and the South African IEC need to adopt a recycling (re-use) of ad-hoc electoral personnel for different elections, in order to save the costs expended on training fresh hands during each election year and ensure that people become experts and professionals of election administration over time. Furthermore, both Nigerian and South African Parliaments and executive arms of government must be more deliberate and show more political will to ensure accountability within the electoral commissions in the countries. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | OKUHUNYUSHWE NGOLIMI LWESIZULU ISIFINGO Lesisifundo sihlola ngokuqhathanisa umthelela wezindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Umbuzo obalulekile ukuthi ngabe izindleko eziphezulu ezisetshenziswa ukuphatha ukhetho zichaza ukusebenza kahle kwezinhlaka eziphethe ukhetho (EMBs) ukuletha ukhetho oluqotho eNigeria nase Mzansi Afrika? Ngokho ke lesisfundo sihlole izindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria nase Mzansi Afrika, saphinda sahlolisisa ukuthi kunempumelelo engakanani ukuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria nasMzansi Afrika: imibiko yokuhlola imithelela eholela ekunyukeni kwezindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika; kwahlolisiswa nomthelela wezindleko zokhetho ekusebenzeni kwezinhlaka eziphethe ukhetho (EMBs) ekuphathweni kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika; kwase kwakhombakala nezinye izinto ezinomthelela ekuphathweni kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Lesisfundo sivele sabaluleka kakhulu njengoba kungakabonakali ukuvumelana kwemibhalo ekhona ekutheni ingabe izindleko ezichithwa ekuphathweni kokhetho ziholela ekutheni izinhlaka eziphethe ukhetho (EMBs) zisebenze ngezinga eliphezulu ukuletha ukhetho oluqotho. Lesisifundo sifuna ukwakha icala ngokuqhathanisa phakathi kweNigeria noMzansi Afrika. Lesisfundo sisebenzise ulwazi oluyisisekelo nokungolwesibili oluthathwe eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika. Lithathe umklamo wocwaningo oluhlolayo, indlela esezingeni eliphezulu yokuqoqa ulwazi nokulihlaziya Kanye nomklamo wocwaningo lokuchaza/kwakha. Ulwazi oluyisisekelo lutholakale ngokusebenzisa izigamu zezingxoxo nabathize. Kukhethwe abantu abangamashumi amabili nanye ekuzoxoxiswana nabo kwizikhungo ezibambe iqhaza kulamazwe ekufundwa ngawo, mayelana nabahlangane nakho, ubuchwepheshe babo Kanye nokuzimbandakanya kwabo ohlelweni lokwaba nokuhlela izindleko zokhetho nokuphathwa kokhetho kulamazwe. Ulwazi oluqoqiwe luhlaziywe kusetshenziswa uhlaziyo olusezingeni eliphezulu futhi olungahlelwanga. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ulwazi lwesibili lutholakale kwimibhalo ekhona ehlobene nalesisihloko. Ngalokho ke ulwazi lwesibili lutholakale ezincwadini, amajenali namaphephabhuku, imibiko yamaphephandaba, amadokhumenti omthetho Kanye namagazethi ne-intanethi. Ulwazi lwesibili luyahambisana nolwazi oluyisisekelo kulesisfundo. Ngokwemibono, lesisfundo sithathe itiyori yokuqhathanisa phakathi kwezinsizakusebenza Kanye namakhono (RBV) ukusabalalisa ukuqondwa kobudlelwane phakathi kwezindleko zokuvota Kanye nokuphathwa kokuvota. Okutholakele kukhombisa ukuthi izindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afrika zilokhu zinyuka ngendlela eyisimanga kusuka ku 1999 no 1994 ngokwahlukana. Ekuphemeleleni kokuphathwa kokhetho kulamazwe , isifundo Sithole ukuthi nakuba kube nokuthuthuka ekuphathweni kokhetho eNigeria, kusanezinselelo ezinqala eziqhubekayo ezehlela lenqubo, eziqhubeka zibukele phansi izinga eliphezulu lempumelelo yokuphathwa kokhetho. Kanti-ke eMzansi Afrika, izinga lempumelelo etholakale ekuphathweni kokhetho kulemnyaka liye lakhula nakuba libe nezinselelo futhi. Isifundo sibuye saveza ukuthi kunemithelela ethize nevamile eqhubekayo ibe nomthelela ekukhuleni kwezindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria naseMzansi Afriika. Phakathi kwemithelela evamile kubalwa ukwehla kwamandla emali, ukunyuka kwezibalo zabantu abahlala ezweni, izibalo zamaqembu ezepolitiki, ukuguquka kokushintshisana ngemali phakathi kwamazwe, ukulangazelela kwamakhomishini okhetho ukuthuthukisa inqubo yokuvota, nokunyuka kobuchwepheshe bokuphathwa kokuvota, Kanye nokunye. Kutholakale ukuthi inselelo yeNigeria ubukhulu bezwe Kanye nabahlali bakhona abaningi, ukungathembani okhethweni Kanye nokhetho oluntekenteke, kanti eMzansi Afrika kutholakale ukuthi izimali zabelwe amaqembu ezepolitiki, abavoti abapheshesheya kwezilwandle, izinhlelo eziyikhethelo zokuvota, ukwanda kokuqulwa kwamacala ezokhetho, Kanye nokunye. Kutholakale ukuthi nakuba izindleko zihambisana nempumelelo yokuphathwa kokhetho, izindleko ezichithwe ekuphathweni kokhetho eNigeria azilinyusanga izinga lokusebenza kahle kwe Khomishini ezimele yokhetho yaseNigeria (INEC) ekuphathweni nokuthulwa kokhetho oluqotho. EMzansi Afrika , izindleko ezichithwe ekuphathweni kokhetho zibe nomthelela ongemuhle ekusebenzeni kweKhomishini ezimele yokhetho (IEC) eminyakeni edlule. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isfundo sikhombisa ukuthi kuneminye imithelela ethize nevamile ngaphandle kwemithelelo yezindleko zokuphathwa kokhetho eNigeria nase Mzansi Afrika. Kwimithelela evamile, kubalwa izinselelo zokulungiselela nokuhlela, izidingo zemithetho, izikhinyabezo Kanye nabasebenzi bohlelo lokhetho. ENigeria kubalwa imithelela efana nengcindezi, ukugxambukela kwezepolitiki evela kubantu abahlukene bezepolitiki ezweni, ukungaguqulwa kwendlela yokuvota,nokuqeqeshwa kwezisebenzi zeKhomishini ezimele yokhetho (INEC), ukungazinikezeli kwezepolitiki Kanye nokuqokwa kwezindlela zokusebenza kwezinhloko zeINEC Kanye nokunye kuyaqhubeka nokuba nomthelela ekuphathweni kokhetho. EMzansi Africa, isimo somnotho (ukuntuleka kwezinsiza), udlame, ukukhwabanisa, ukungafundisi abantu ngokhetho, nemithelela yobandlululo Kanye nokunye, kunomthelela ekuphathweni kokhetho ezweni. Isifundo siphetha ngokuthi nakuba izindleko zokhetho zibalulekile ekuphathweni kokhetho ngempumelelo, akusho ukuthi izindleko zokhetho eziphezulu zizoqinisekisa ukusebenza kangcono kwezinhlaka eziphethe ukhetho EMBs ekuphatheni nasekuletheni ukhetho oluqotho, njengoba indaba yaseNigeria nase Mzansi Africa ivezile. Phakathi kokunye, isifundo senze izincomo zokuthi kunesidingo esiphuthumayo sokuthi iphalamende laseMzansi Afrika linyuse isabelomali Kanye nesikhwama seIEC, ukufukula indlela yayo yokusebenza ekuphatheni ukhetho, nokuthi womabili lamaKhomishini INEC yaseNigeria neIEC yaseMzansi Afrika badinga ukusebenzisa ngokuphindelela abasebenzi ababodwa ezinhlelweni zokhetho olwehlukene, ukuze kunciphe izindleko zokuqeqesha abantu abasha njalo uma kunokhetho nokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bagcina sebenolwazi olunzulu lokuphatha ukhetho uma isikhathi siqhubeka. Ngaphezu kwalokho, womabili amaphalamende elaseNigeria nelaseMzansi Afrika, nabaphathi bezinhlaka zikahulumeni kumele bakhombise ukuzimbandakanya ngokuphelele, bakhombise nentshisekelo yokuqinisekisa izimpendulo kumaKhomishini ezokhetho kulamazwe. | zu |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://uzspace.unizulu.ac.za/handle/10530/2519 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Zululand | |
| dc.title | The cost of elections and election administration: a comparison of Nigeria and South Africa | en |
| dc.title.alternative | Cost of elections and administration | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |