2023 Presidential Elections in Nigeria: Voting Patterns, Controversies, and Recommendations
2023 Presidential Elections in Nigeria: Voting Patterns, Controversies, and Recommendations

Summary/Abstract: Election is an important component of democracy. In fact, without periodic and regular elections, democracy may lose its value and appeal. Notwithstanding, a lot of dynamics were determined by the just-concluded 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, such as ethnoreligious marginalisation, same-faith ticket, End-SARS aftermaths, and technological irregularities, which also resulted in a series of ecclesiastical innuendos, ethnic tension, mutual suspicions among Nigerians, and distrust of the political process. The main thrust of this paper revolves around interrogating various intricacies that influenced the outcome of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections. The paper relied on a content analysis approach and other valid secondary sources such as books, journals, national dailies, and articles. Statistical data shall also be used where appropriate as empirical evidence. Our findings reveal that most of the intricacies observed are detrimental to free, fair, credible, and transparent elections in Nigeria due to financial emoluments attached to political positions, and fiscal centralisation. The paper recommends, among other things, that the INEC conducts an independent transparent review of its performance in the 2023 general elections while exploring opportunities for institutional reforms in ensuring the nation’s future free, credible, and fair general elections and enhancement of robust electoral process.

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