Local government election and democracy: evidence from Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

In the history of mankind, democracy is presumably the best among all the systems of government. Where it is practiced well, election is the means of determining the will of the people regarding their choice of political leaders. However, the local government elections conducted in Nigeria lacked those principles required in a democratic setting. This paper examines the extent to which democratic principles were flouted in local government elections in Nigeria with particular reference to local government elections conducted in Enugu State in 2022. The study adopted the elite theory. Data for the study were drawn from participant observation and review of authentic secondary sources. The study identified that the 2022 local government elections were neither fair, credible, nor transparent because of political influence which manipulated both the electoral process and the conduct of election and thereby denying the eligible voters the opportunity of choosing their preferred candidate. The study concluded that local government elections conducted in Enugu State in 2022 look like a mockery of election in a democratic setting. The study recommended among others that 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be amended to grant full autonomy to local governments so as to loosen them from the control of the State governments, and also that the State Independent Electoral Commission be scrapped and replaced with Independent National Electoral Commission for the purpose of conducting local government elections in Nigeria.