Abstract

The paper examines the role of citizenry, politicians and electoral bodies in the conduct of elections to determine their commitment by the Nigerian electoral body to the conduct of credible elections being the justification for the study. The paper reviews relevant literature on the role of electorate, politicians and electoral bodies in elections to justify the contributions of this article to previous election studies. The researchers used a survey method and a questionnaire instrument to elicit the public’s view of the role of citizens, politicians and electoral bodies in the conduct of elections. It found that the majority of the electorate interviewed in the study have confidence in the Nigerian electoral body to conduct good elections, but the citizens wonder why the Independent National Electoral Commission often relates the federal government as though the commission was an arm of the ruling party. This indicates growing public concern over the commission’s independence from the federal government’s control and influence. The role of the federal government in election would be to create the enabling environment for the electoral body to conduct elections. As part of the recommendations, the paper urges the present leadership of the Nigerian electoral commission to distance itself from governments and politicians to avoid being influenced by them, or perceived to have been influenced by them because of the closed interactions between the leadership of the electoral commission and government. The researchers implore the electoral commission to relate to party leaders and politicians in the same way and manner in which the judiciary relates to the other arms of the government.

Keywords

citizenry, election, parties, judiciary, Independent National Electoral Commission