Elections, Leadership, and National Development in Nigeria: Practices, Problems, and Prospects
Dr Chima Imoh
Synopsis "Elections, Leadership, and National Development in Nigeria: Practices, Problems, and Prospects"
Although democracy is becoming the prevalent and acceptable form of governance in such Sub-Saharan African countries as Nigeria, there is need to understand the domestic dynamics under which electoral competition influences the quality of leadership and national development. The major purpose of the book is to explore and explain the circumstances under which elections play crucial roles in the job performance of elected political elites and its effects on the development of Nigeria. There are obvious linkages between the basic political values of a democratic state and the leadership performances of elected officials, as well as its national development. The effects of the interactions of unethical political behaviour and sluggish improvements of the already poor national development are evident in Nigeria. In comparison with other African and Asian countries, Nigeria at its independence, had dynamic public institutions, competent professionals, and a vibrant civil society; and was considered the "phoenix of African hopes"1. Contrary to expectations, Nigeria has remained a nation-state, which by all democratic and leadership criteria, performs poorly in comparison with similar nation-states in Sub-Sahara Africa. Although the colonial legacies constitute part of Nigeria's political and developmental problems, it still remains unfortunate that, unlike Malaysia, Indonesia, and India with similar legacies, Nigeria has been unable to formulate policies that promote national integration and effective leadership. The problem of economic underdevelopment in Nigeria is, therefore, more complex than the effects of such exogenous factors as colonialism. Obviously, the authoritarian military regimes, which interrupted elected democratic regimes through coups d'état, have impeded the political development processes. Even the so-called democratic regimes have been simply electoral dictatorships that combined regular elections with a number of democratic deficits; such as corruption, poor systems of checks and balances on the executive and ineffective legislative branch of government. These civilian regimes have used the conduct of multiparty elections to mask the prevalent authoritarian domination, plagued by election-rigging, abuse of power, and widespread corruption. The low levels of electoral competition in the political system of Nigeria have had adverse effects on the quality of leadership, as well as the development of the nation. Genuine electoral competitions create and guarantee accountability; serve as constraints on executive arbitrariness; and improve representation and participation. These in turn, create a balance between the politician who is supposed to supply good governance and the citizens who demand good governance.
