Elections and Nigeria’s International Image: A Study of 2015 General Elections

Abstract

Election is a very important component of a democratic process in any country because, it is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office, and hence all the other variables of democracy revolve around elections. Elections represent a medium through a country can project its international image either positively or negatively through several means, particularly the electoral processes. This paper examined the influenced of 2015 general elections on Nigeria’s international image. The paper is essentially qualitative in its approach and documentary sources were the major instruments used for data collection. The paper found that what made the 2015 Nigeria’s general election credible was proper conduct of the election and general acceptability of the candidates competing for different political post. The paper argues that series of elections have been conducted in Nigeria; but the 2015 general elections actually determine the stand of Nigeria is the global support for democracy. The election not only received global commendations but also placed Nigeria as leading role of African democratic trends which many learn lesson from it their future conducts of elections. The paper concludes that violence is the greatest enemy of democracy, being the bane of Nigeria’s march to democracy. This is because there can be no democratic elections, democratization, consolidation of democracy, growth in democratic culture or internalization of best democratic practices in any country if electoral violence is prevalent. The paper recommends among others that there is need for Nigerian state to build on the existing institutions that would ensure credible elections so that future elections would be more violent-free than the recent elections.

Keywords: Election, International Image, Electoral Violence and Politics in Nigeria.