CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS TO ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES

                        JSS 2 CIVIC EDUCATION

                               WEEK 8

                CONSEQUENCES AND SOLUTIONS TO ELECTORAL

                               MALPRACTICES     

             CONSEQUENCES OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES

1. BAD LEADERSHIP: Electoral malpractice allows wrong people to be in government. These people may be inexperienced, visionless and corrupt. All these will cause bad leadership.

2. RIOTS AND CHAOS: Electoral malpractice could lead to riot, violence, burning of houses and destruction of property. Nigeria has experienced all these in almost every general election conducted so far.

3. BAD IMAGE: Electoral malpractices paints the country bad internationally. The leader cannot earn the respect of nations where where democracy is successfully thriving. Our leaders would be seen as crooks who are not fit to rule the country.

4. LOSS OF INTEREST IN VOTING: Where election results are always manipulated, electorates may develop apathy towards voting in subsequent elections. No amount of persuasion on the part of the government will make them vote.

5. LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY:. Many have lost their lives, cars, buildings, parts of their body to riots and protests over election results.

6. MILITARY INTERVENTION: Where electoral malpractice becomes the order of the day or causing evil unrest, bad leadership and political problems, the military may see the need to come back. This will bring a serious setback to the growth of democracy in Nigeria. Under the military, all democratic institutions will be scrapped and the military will rule by decree and not by the wish of the people.

7. SCARING VOTERS: Generally, most voters will not want to participate in electoral activities during periods of political conflicts for fear of being molested, embarrassed or assaulted. Most voters will prefer to stay away from active political participation until the atmosphere is conducive for a free and fair election.

                PREVENTION OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES IN

                                   NIGERIA

         The following steps should be taken by the government to prevent electoral malpractices in Nigeria:

1. NON – INTERFERENCE IN ELECTORAL MATTERS: The government in power should not in any way influence the activities of the Electoral Commission before, during and after election.

2. IMPARTIALITY OF JUDICIARY: The judiciary should play the role of defender of democracy before, during and after elections. Cases of electoral malpractices should be treated with urgency, seriousness and impartiality.

3. EDUCATION OF ELECTORATES: The government agency in charge of orientation should do it’s best to organize programmes that will educate the electorates of their rights and responsibilities before, during and after elections.

4. ADEQUATE SECURITY: The government should make enough SECU agents available at every pooling boot to protect the electoral officials, electoral materials and the voters.

5. PROPER PLANNING: Electoral Commission that coordinates election should do a proper planning of the election so that there will not be loopholes for politicians or their agents to hijack the election. Enough money should be made available for provision of electoral materials like ballot papers, ballot boxes etc.

6. INTRODUCTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS: The reintroduction of civic education in primary and post primary institutions is a very good idea. It is a right policy to solving electoral problems in Nigeria. It will build in our youths positive attitude towards elections as future party leaders, candidates or electorates.