VOTE BUYING AND CREDIBLE ELECTIONS IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF KOGI STATE

Authors

  • Olusegun Oju Department of Technical Education, Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba, Kogi State,
  • Margaret Akomolafe, Department of Integrated Science Education, Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba, Kogi State
  • Stephen Adebayo Department of Technical Education, Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba, Kogi State

Keywords:

Democracy, Elections, Financial inducements, Voters, Vote buying

Abstract

Incentives in the form of money have been used in Nigerian elections in recent years, but in the 2019 General Election and the recently concluded general elections in 2023, the prevalence of vote buying was so obvious that it damaged the credibility of the democratic process. This paper explores the topic of vote buying and how it affects Nigeria's chances for fair elections. It used primary and secondary data to investigate the origins, occurrences, and effects of vote buying on Nigeria's democratization process. The General Incentive Model was also adopted by the study and used as its analytical framework. It was found that Nigeria has consistently faced threats in its efforts to institutionalize the best democratic principles and ensure the purity and integrity of the process. To prevent vote buying in Nigeria, the paper suggests lowering poverty levels as well as making sure the Electoral Act of 2022 is followed to the letter.

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Published

12-09-2023

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2023): OIJCI Vol 2, No 2, Mar. 2023

Section

Articles