Politics of Defection and its Implications on Nigeriaas Democracy

This study examines the politics of defection and its implications on Nigeria s democracy Nigeria s return to democracy in 1999 ushered in a great hope of democratic dividend and heralded a rare opportunity for the country to launch a new democratic strategy after years of military dictatorship The emergence of multiparty democracy in Nigeria since 1999 has been seen as a major breakthrough in the democratic process However the way and manner politicians in Nigeria defect from one party to the other has not only constituted democratic nuisance but has continued to raise serious concern among political observers and participants in Nigeria This have lend credence to lack of clear ideology and manifesto among political parties in Nigeria The issue of defection has been one of the major bane of democratic process in Nigeri

Transition and Civic Engagements in Nigeria: What does 2015 Portend?

Nigeria as a country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after marathon years of military dictatorship. Since then, the country had conducted four general elections which have all been disputed as being below democratic standards. The quality and efficacy of these elections have progressively declined, thus begging the question of democratic transition and citizens’ role in the electoral process. Independent international and domestic observers however noted that despite numerous challenges like violence, disenfranchisement, poor organization of the elections, etc., the 2011 general elections witnessed a slight improvement from the past elections, as results in certain parts of the country reflected the citizen’s choice at the polls. However, Nigeria’s general elections scheduled for March and April, 2015 will be more contentious than previous ones. There exist tensions within and between the major competing parties, claims and counter-claims between northern and Niger Delta politicians, religious/ethnic politics, the escalating attacks of Boko Haram Islamic sect and the increasing political tension in many northern and southern states, coupled with the poor preparations of the electoral commission and the likely bias nature of the security services,  all allude to the fact that the country is moving toward a “grave and volatile political contest”. The paper, therefore examined the causes and implications of rising tension in the nation’s political system and how the current situation can be handled to avert full blown political crises during and after the elections. This study adopted archival analysis. Data for the analysis were drawn from newspapers publications, journals, workshop papers, books, as well as publications of non-governmental organizations. The primary significance of this study is that it will awaken the consciousness of the electorate on why they should play major role in the electoral process and avert the political crises that have characterized majority of the elections conducted in Nigeria. Analysis made in this paper will serve as a useful political literature for policy makers, political leaders and the reading public seeking lucid information on the subject issue. This paper thus argued that as Nigerians prepare for the 2015 general elections, serious attention should be paid to the role the electorates play in transition processes through their civic engagements. The paper therefore recommended, among others, that the electorates should be seen as the “transitory agents” as well as the electoral body conducting transparent and credible elections to increase citizens’ confidence in the electoral process. The paper, however, concluded that transition and civil engagements will be meaningless in Nigeria, if the citizens’ whose duty it is to accelerate the process are not fully integrated into the democratic process. Keywords: Civic Engagements; Disenfranchisement; Elections; Electoral Violence; Transitio

The 2011 General Elections and Current Development Trends in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

One major challenge that confronts the democratic regimes in Nigeria over the years has been the conduct of free, fair and credible elections which result can be attested to by a majority of the electorate and thus lead to generally acceptable results.  Such a generally acceptable mandate can in turn give way to national development. This work set out to identify the relationship between elections and socio-economic and political developments in Akwa Ibom State, especially after the 2011 general elections. It is expected that with the forthcoming elections in 2015, some lessons may have been learnt by the political gladiators and others in the transition category. The study was a combination of descriptive, ethnographic and survey research, with data drawn from existing sources (desk research) and the field (observation and interviews). The research work which was largely empirical in nature unearthed a number of political challenges in the state. Some of these include: refusal on the part of Nigerian policy makers to adopt on a comprehensive basis, the report of the electoral reforms panel (chaired by Justice Uwais) that would have aided the EMB to conduct credible elections. Since the reward system is unprecedented in the world, Nigerian politicians do everything possible to win elections at all costs and by every available means. Apart from the ruling political parties, most of the other parties are not very much on ground to make the electoral contest a worthwhile activity. It is a reality that INEC still has the challenge of inadequate finance to contend with. Consequently, refusal by the policy makers to introduce the e-voting system gives enough room for the “business as usual” pattern of electoral malpractices, which has remained a major wound in the democratic history of Nigeria. Among others, the paper recommended a full implementation of the Uwais Panel report and a drastic slash or cut in the take home pay of political office holders across board. Keywords: Campaign, Development trends, Elections, Marginalization, Party primarie

The Impacts of National Rebirth Programme on the Moral Character of Nigerian Civil Service Employees (1999 a 2011): Akwa Ibom State Perspective

This study examines the National Rebirth Programme with a view to determine the extent to which it has affected the attitude and behaviour patterns of Nigerians with special emphasis on Akwa Ibom State civil servants The study s objectives were to investigate the impact of the National Rebirth Programme on the moral character of civil service employees in Akwa Ibom State to find out whether the programme has engendered efficiency in service delivery in the state civil service and to recommend ways of making the programme more responsive effective and relevant The study adopted the qualitative and quantitative research methods and utilized data from both the primary and secondary sources which were analyzed within the context of structural functional theory The findings of the study revealed that prior to the commencement of Obasanjo s administration in 1999 Nigerian civil public service was plagued by moral decadence inefficiency and poor attitude to work Moreover the study revealed that the civil service that was supposed to be the engine room of the system was not spared as vices such as corruption indiscipline and other related parochial considerations became prevalent in place of meritocracy diligence and accountability Our analysis revealed that the National Rebirth Programme have had a positive impact on the moral character ethical behaviour and general attitude of Akwa Ibom State civil servants as it has engendered a reduction in the level of corruption discipline and increased work commitment in the civil service The study noted however that a greater proportion of civil servants are still influenced by certain negative forces within the larger society Consequently the study recommended among others that government should make civic education compulsory to all civil servants in order to help in inculcating the right values and ideals in the citizenry while earnest effort should be made to address the poor conditions of service thu

The Impacts of National Rebirth Programme on the Moral Character of Nigerian Civil Service Employees (1999 a 2011): Akwa Ibom State Perspective

This study examines the National Rebirth Programme with a view to determine the extent to which it has affected the attitude and behaviour patterns of Nigerians with special emphasis on Akwa Ibom State civil servants The study s objectives were to investigate the impact of the National Rebirth Programme on the moral character of civil service employees in Akwa Ibom State to find out whether the programme has engendered efficiency in service delivery in the state civil service and to recommend ways of making the programme more responsive effective and relevant The study adopted the qualitative and quantitative research methods and utilized data from both the primary and secondary sources which were analyzed within the context of structural functional theory The findings of the study revealed that prior to the commencement of Obasanjo s administration in 1999 Nigerian civil public service was plagued by moral decadence inefficiency and poor attitude to work Moreover the study revealed that the civil service that was supposed to be the engine room of the system was not spared as vices such as corruption indiscipline and other related parochial considerations became prevalent in place of meritocracy diligence and accountability Our analysis revealed that the National Rebirth Programme have had a positive impact on the moral character ethical behaviour and general attitude of Akwa Ibom State civil servants as it has engendered a reduction in the level of corruption discipline and increased work commitment in the civil service The study noted however that a greater proportion of civil servants are still influenced by certain negative forces within the larger society Consequently the study recommended among others that government should make civic education compulsory to all civil servants in order to help in inculcating the right values and ideals in the citizenry while earnest effort should be made to address the poor conditions of service thu

Electoral Violence and Democratization Process in Nigeria: A Reference of 2011 and 2015 General Elections

The general account of Nigeria’s post-independence electoral processes has always been characterized by violence. Nigeria’s 2015 general elections marked the fifth multi-party elections in the country and the second handover of civilian administrations since the inception of the Fourth Republic democratic experiment in 1999. This account cannot be analyzed without issues of electoral violence. Electoral violence had been a permanent feature of Nigeria’s democratic process, except 2015 general elections where the international observers described as a “significant improvement” over the previous elections in terms of violence related cases. Electoral related violence in the country particularly in 2011 got to an unprecedented dimension resulting in destruction of lives and property worth millions of naira. This paper expatiates on electoral violence and its general implications on the democratization process in the country, with major emphasis on the 2011 and 2015 general elections. The paper argued that the high incidence of pre and post electoral violence in the country within the periods has to do with the way Nigerian politicians regard politics, weak political institutions and weak electoral management body as well as bias nature of the security agencies, etc. However, the paper examined the general implications of electoral violence on democratization process and how the country can handle the electoral process to avoid threats associated with the electoral violence. Archival analysis, which widely extracted data from newspapers, journals, workshop papers, books, as well as publications of non-governmental organizations was adopted for the study. The major significance of this study is to expose the negative implications associated with electoral violence and how it can be curbed. The position canvassed in this paper will serve as a useful political literature for political leaders, policy makers and the general reading public who may be seeking general information on the subject matter. The paper therefore, among others, recommended that political leaders and political participants should not see politics as investment or do or die affairs as well as the formulation of laws with severe sanctions against supporters or perpetrators of electoral violence in the country. The paper therefore submits that democratization in the country can only be realistic when the ideals and principles of democracy as practiced in advanced democratic societies are upheld and respected

E-Governance and Its Implementation Challenges in the Nigerian Public Service

E-governance has become one of the reform tools geared towards effective public service delivery, which is premised on the assumption that the appreciable use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) method in the day to day activities of government will bring effective service delivery. However, there are lots of challenges that hamper the effective implementation of e-governance in Nigerian public service. It is based on this, that this article identifies some of the challenges to e-governance implementation in Nigerian public service. Although, no robust statistical analysis was done, as the article relied on archival analysis of relevant literature on the subject matter and inferences drawn from it. Based on its findings, it was concluded that e-governance remain the best in encouraging transparency and accountability in government business. The paper therefore, recommends that, government should be more committed to the implementation e-governance as well as embark on adequate enlightenment about the concept