STRUCTURES, INSTITUTIONS AND UMPIRES FOR CREDIBLE ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is today divided by mutual suspicion and distrust, a nation characterized by general depression, cynicism and frustration, a nation in which religion and ethics tensions are on the rise; a nation that has lost pride on itself, and lost faith in the political leadership. All the past elections conducted through the secret ballot were discredited because of various malpractices, demise of the first and second republics was, to a considerable degree, due to electoral malpractices and behaviour that manifested in election result lacking the credence of quite a sizeable section of the Nigeria populace. Nigeria will require non-conventional political approach to secure unity, cohesion and stability. The option A4: selection of state flag-bearers through ward, local government and state congress leading to national convention need to be revisited. In case of Nigeria, floating 60 political parties without workable structures, institutions and umpires on ground will result to mirage. The existing imperfection in the present open ballot system, that is, bribery, undue influence, unofficial announcement of results and its failure to attract international acceptability and recognition, not a adhere to the election etiquette marshaled out to guide electoral behaviours, all these, called for political restructuring. This paper therefore, discusses the structures, institutions and umpires of credible elections in Nigeria. And it was concluded that the judiciary should be seen as the last bus-stop to right every wrongs in relationships between individuals, organs and institutions of government. To avoid discredited elections in Nigeria in near future, this paper recommended that there is need to establish an electoral body that is truly independent with unbiased and neutral umpires.