From Pessimism to Optimism: An Assessment of Elections Conducted in Nigeria from 1999 – 2015

Abstract

Since 1960 when Nigeria became independent of British colonial administration up to 2015 when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC conducted an epoch-making election, Nigerians have contended with the pains and consequences of mismanaged elections which are often violent. This paper aims at an assessment of the trajectory of election administration in Nigeria from 1999 to 2015 during which period Nigerians' perception of election administration plummeted from hopelessness to hopefulness. The era of pessimism is represented by the 2003 and 2007 general elections when Nigerians lost hope in INEC and the electoral process. The era of optimism is represented by the 2011 and 2015 general elections when INEC conducted credible elections in Nigeria's sixteen years of uninterrupted democracy. Using structural functionalism as a theoretical framework for analysis, the paper relied heavily on secondary source of data collection (documentary sources), and adopted content analysis approach for data analysis. Recommendations are made for sustaining the tempo of credible election delivery as witnessed in the 2015 general elections.