CREDIBLE ELECTION IN NIGERIA: A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES

Olaide ARO

Series of election have been conducted in Nigeria from 1923 to date with one fault or the order discrediting their credibility and as a matter of fact led to people’s call preceded April 2011 general election for credible election with series of efforts been put in place to ensure its reality. It must be noted that the precept called ‘credible election’ is not new in our society because it is the modification of people’s calls for free and fair election. As a result of the above fact, it is the belief of this present writer that before this sacred objective called ‘credible election’ can be realise each and every stakeholder have positive roles to play because they have been playing negative roles that has been disrupting credibility of election in Nigeria. This incident that led to election incredibility did not commence now and to solve the problem in a very short period of time is not realistic which as a matter of fact serve as the basis of describing it as a journey of a thousand miles. Consequently, the nature of credible election will be considered along with the challenges associated with their credibility as well as examine factors which will facilitate credible election in Nigeria. It must be noted that the problems of credible election are not lack of credible electoral law but the application of same, which this paper is dedicated.