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Scholars Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences | Volume-7 | Issue-07
Party Politics and the Nigerian Electoral Process, 1923-2015
Ntui, Daniel Okorn, Patrick O. Odey
Published: July 30, 2019 | 123 120
DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2019.v07i07.015
Pages: 520-527
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Abstract
This paper, “Party Politics and the Nigerian Electoral Process, 1923-2015” examines the Nigerian electoral process from 1923-2015. The 1922 Constitution among other things, promulgated the elective principles that provided the legal framework within which the electoral process would become operational in Nigeria. The study begins from 1923 when the first election was conducted and participation was on municipal basis- restricted to only Calabar and Lagos, and terminates in 2015, when the smart card readers and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were used. It is argued here that the Nigerian electoral process has grown in terms of the levels of participation, the utilization of technological innovations to drive electronic voting and the effectiveness of the social media in the electoral process. The paper relies on secondary sources and adopts the Structural Functionalism Theory popularized by Gabriel Almond. This is important because the theory is premised on the perception that politics is a system of interaction of societal structures in the performance of their functions within the electoral process. The study concludes that the sustainability of democratic values in Nigeria requires a legal framework, the political will by the government, a credible and independent electoral umpire and a patriotic electorate.