The Politics of the Electoral Act Amendment and the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria

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Oluwashina Moruf Adebiyi
Joseph Oludare Olowa

Abstract

Amending the 2010 Electoral Act before Nigeria’s 2019 general elections generated huge controversies. The determination of the legislature to get the Electoral Act amended and the refusal of the executive to grant assent to the Electoral Bill raises the question: In whose interest was the proposed amendment? The present article examines the political issues that surrounded the amendment of the Electoral Act vis-à-vis the 2019 elections in Nigeria. The article argues that the electoral amendment bill may not after all be in the interest of a credible election as each political party tried to manipulate the bill and the process of amendment to its advantage. The article is qualitative and theoretical and adopts the thematic analysis to draw contextual inferences. It also adopts the cartel party theory.

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How to Cite
Adebiyi, O. M., & Oludare Olowa, J. (2022). The Politics of the Electoral Act Amendment and the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria. Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society, 10(2), 33–57. https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v10i2.363
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Articles
Author Biographies

Oluwashina Moruf Adebiyi, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

He is a committed and propitious academic and research fellow with over nine years of experience in teaching and research in the fi eld of political science. He teaches in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. He specialises in Comparative Politics with expertise in Electoral and Democratisation studies. His articles have appeared in reputable outlets. He is a member of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA). E-mail: adebiyi.om@unilorin.edu.ng

Joseph Oludare Olowa, Independent researcher

He is a promising academic with over five years of experience in political and social research. He holds a Master of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Lagos and a B.Sc. Political Science degree from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His area of research is democratisation and conflict studies. He is currently a PhD applicant at a reputable university in Sweden. He is a member of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA). E-mail: josephdareolowa@yahoo.com