Continuity and Change in Nigeria’s Electoral Democracy

Abstract

The chapter explores the issues that define the basic elements of continuity and change that constitutes the underlying theme of this book. On the one hand, the chapter shows that institutional weaknesses including the weakness of the party system, adversarial politics and politics of brinkmanship among the leading elite contenders and excessive appeals to ethnic and religious sentiments in the countdown to the 2015 elections as well as the continued marginalization of women represent basic continuities in Nigerian politics beginning from the First Republic. On the other hand, the chapter highlights developments and initiatives that marked a break with the past and contributed to improved electoral outcome in the 2015 elections. These include, for example, the positive impact of electoral reform and the commitment of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve electoral governance through internal reform measures such as administrative reorganization of the Commission, improved stakeholders’ engagement, introduction of technological innovation including a biometric voter register and the Smart Card Readers. The chapter also draws attention to a remarkably improved election environment, the emergence of a strong opposition and a more engaged international community and Nigeria’s development partners which contributed to the outcome of the 2015 elections described in the book.