Post-Election Litigation and Socio-Economic Underdevelopment in Nigeria: The Nexus and Effectual Exposition
- March 14, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRISS, Political Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue II, February 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
OGBE Henry Ejotubu, Onyemekihian Jude (Ph. D)
Department of Political Science, College of Education, Agbor Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract: The study focuses on post- election litigations as it has become a norm in the conduct of election in Nigeria and its effects on socio- economic development. Through secondary and primary data particularly observation methods of injury, the study reveal that reign of systemic corruption in Nigeria has negative effects on the electoral ecosystem which equally affects the genuine operations of the judiciary over true verdicts of post-election litigations. The paper also reveal that diversion of public funds meant for developments in pretext into elephant (big and unending) projects but financial conduit for financing post-election litigations depicts the nexus between post-election litigation and socio-economic underdevelopment in Nigeria. Besides, the paper establish that the role of godfatherism in Nigeria politics, appointment of incompetent hands in government at the expense of technocrats, enthronement of nurtured fraudulent politicians as leaders and fear of uncertainty which deters investors among others are effects of post-election litigations on socio-economic development in Nigeria. Political education, life imprisonment for corrupt electoral staff, Judges and Justices, stoppage of money politics which fuels the role of godfatherism and its related illegality are among others are recommended herein by this paper.
Keywords: Democracy, Post-election, Litigation, Socio-economic, Underdevelopment.
I. INTRODUCTION
The state of nature as it was viewed by John Loke in Omoregbe (2010) was peaceful, however, men could not satisfy their needs, they voluntarily renounce the state of nature and formed an organized society, which restricts their freedom and submit themselves under the rule of a civil government as it pays them to do so. Therefore, democratic government from immemorial is a government formed by people for their socio-economic development, and as such the aspirants who wish to be part of the government must observe and oblige to the electoral processes and electorally emerged, and rule as legitimate government.
A democratic government is to administer and maintain a political climate that would commands obedience from the citizens and bring about socio-economic development in the state must emerge out of free, fair and credible election(s) organize by an impartial electoral body
