Electoral Reforms And Democratic Stability in Nigeria: A Critical Review of the 2022 Electoral Act

Abstract

The paper interrogates the prospects of attaining democratic stability in Nigeria, via the instrumentality of electoral reforms, taking the Electoral Act 2022 into perspective. Electoral reforms have been generally observed to hold mixed (positive and negative) outcomes on the electoral process and democracy at large. Nonetheless, the case of the Electoral Act 2022 has not been examined to ascertain its prospects for improved electoral credibility and democratic stability, or otherwise, in the country. This is the primary objective of this paper. The paper relies on descriptive and explanatory research designs, using document analysis and desk review methods. It relies on secondary data sources. The paper finds, among others, that, the Electoral Act 2022 is capable of guaranteeing stronger financial independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission and addressing logistics challenges; that, by legalising the use of technology, electoral credibility will be improved upon; and that, most of the provisions in the Act, when well implemented, are capable to midwife democratic stability in Nigeria. It concludes that beyond the enactment of the Act, political elites must develop the right attitude and political will to sincerely improve the electoral process, and that, all hands must be on deck to see to the effective implementation of the Act to harness its efficacy towards attaining democratic stability in the country.