Money and Politics in Nigeria - U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre

172 Pages·2012·0.79 MB·English

Money and Politics
in Nigeria
Edited by
Victor A.O. Adetula

DFID Department for
International
Development
International Foundation for Electoral System
IFES-Nigeria
No 14 Tennessee Crescent
Off Panama Street,
Maitama, Abuja
Nigeria
Tel: [phone]/6293
Fax: [phone]
© IFES-Nigeria 2008
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of International Foundation for Electoral System
First published 2008
Printed in Abuja-Nigeria by:
Petra Digital Press,
Plot 1275, Nkwere Street,
Off Muhammadu Buhari Way
Area 11, Garki. P.O. Box 11088, Garki, Abuja.
Tel: [phone]
ISBN: 978-978-086-544-3
This book was made possible by funding from the UK Department for
International Development (DfID). The opinions expressed in this book are those
of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IFES-Nigeria or
DfID.
ii
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements v
IFES in Nigeria vii
Tables and Figures ix
Abbreviations and Acronyms xi
Preface xv
Introduction - Money and Politics in Nigeria: an Overview
-Victor A.O. Adetula xxvii
Chapter 1- Political Money and Corruption:
Limiting Corruption in Political Finance
- Marcin Walecki 1
Chapter 2 - Electoral Act 2006, Civil Society Engagement and the
Prospect of Political Finance Reform in Nigeria
- Victor A.O. Adetula 13
Chapter 3 - Funding of Political Parties and Candidates in Nigeria:
Analysis of the Past and Present
- Ezekiel M. Adeyi 29
Chapter 4 - The Role of INEC, ICPC and EFCC in Combating
Political Corruption
- Remi E. Aiyede 39
Chapter 5 - Gender, Money and Politics in Nigeria
- Kachollom C. Best 53
Chapter 6 - Money Politics and Electoral Violence in Nigeria
- Sam O. Smah 65
Chapter 7 - Godfather Politics in Nigeria
- John A.A. Ayoade 85
Chapter 8 - Money Politics, Political Corruption and
Local Government Elections in Nigeria
- Jide Ojo 97
Chapter 9 - Vote Buying in Nigeria
- Emmanuel O. Ojo 109
Chapter 10 - Vote Buying and the Quality of Democracy
- Dung Pam Sha 123
Notes on Contributors 134
Index 135
iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book drew on the 'Nigeria Election Support 2007' program especially its
components on party finance. IFES-Nigeria gratefully acknowledges the
generous support of UK - Department for International Development (DfID)
for the execution of the 'Nigeria Election Support 2007' program which ran
from March 2005 to March 2008. Most of the contributions in the book were
first presented at two seminars in May 2006. IFES - Nigeria is grateful to
Professor John.A.A Ayoade, mni and Professor Victor A.O Adetula for their
assistance in organizing the two seminars in Ibadan and Jos. Charles Lasham
and Rudi Elbling were Country Directors at different times during the lifespan
of the 'Nigeria Election Support 2007' program. Their special interest as well as
support for the 'Money and Politics' (MAP) program in Nigeria were of
tremendous benefit for the book project. Abigail Wilson- Program Manager,
IFES, West Africa, Marcin Walecki- IFES Senior Advisor on Party Finance,
Anna Wiktorowska and Jared Hays- former Project Managers, IFES-Nigeria,
provided most desirable backup support. Their efforts were commendable and
deserved to be mentioned.
Gratitude is also extended to colleagues at the Nigerian Field Office in
Abuja particularly Jide Ojo, Senior Program Officer and Joy Ogala, Junior
Program Officer for their contributions to the success of the publication. Special
appreciation goes to Susan Palmer who consulted for IFES on the book project
and substantially reviewed the 12 papers initially contained in the first
compilation.
IFES-Nigeria acknowledges the support of all the contributors to the book.
These include: Mrs. Kachallon C. Best; Dr Remi Aiyede; Professor Dung Pam
Sha; Dr. Emmanuel Ojo; Professor Sam Smah and Mr. Ezekiel Adeyi. Without
their contributions, this book project would have remained a mere dream.
Lastly, the opinions expressed in this book are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IFES-Nigeria or DfID.
Micheline Begin
Country Director
IFES-Nigeria.
v

IFES IN NIGERIA
Since its inception in 1987, IFES has earned the confidence of election
authorities, governments, and non-governmental organizations around the
world. IFES' approach is successful in large part because of the unparalleled
expertise of our technically-diverse team. IFES effortlessly mobilizes its expert
staff and senior consultants based in Washington, DC and throughout IFES' field
locations to ensure that our programs are carried out by the most qualified and
appropriate talent.
In Nigeria, IFES has worked with the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) since 1998 to enhance the credibility of the electoral
process. In the run-up to the April 2007 elections, IFES worked with INEC and
other key election stakeholders to implement reform measures called for
following the last election cycle, as well as to establish systems for enforcement
of campaign finance regulations, monitoring and mitigation of electoral
violence, and education of voters. Some of the major achievements of IFES
under this program include: Stimulation of public discourse on a revised
election bill which was ultimately passed and signed into law in June
2006;Creation of an in-house Training Unit within INEC; Development of
standard voter and civic education materials for use by Nigerian schools, CSOs,
and the media; Adoption of a regulatory framework for political finance
disclosure under the auspices of INEC and with the buy-in of political parties;
Production of two nation-wide public opinion surveys on the April 2007 general
elections ; Fast-tracking of the election dispute resolution process through
collaboration with the Office of the President of Court of Appeal to train judges
of the Election Petition Tribunals as well as issuance of Practice Direction for
use of the Tribunals; Formation of the National Association for Peaceful
Elections in Nigeria (NAPEN) to monitor election-related violence; and
Provision of memoranda to the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) for the
consideration of the Committee as Nigeria contemplates the manner in which it
conducts elections.
Additionally, IFES has worked on political finance reform, anti-corruption,
and constitutional and electoral law reform. With a focus on political finance
reform, IFES established a Political Finance Monitoring Group (PFMG), which
includes representatives from nearly 50 organizations interested in clean
elections, including political parties, the Independent National Electoral
Commission, anti-corruption agencies, citizens' groups, academia and the
media.
The Group tracks violations of Nigeria's political finance laws and reports
them to agencies that prosecute such crimes. The Monitoring Group is working
vii
with citizens' watchdog groups across Nigeria. These watchdog groups track
party finances in their local area and sending field reports back to the
Monitoring Group. The Monitoring Group then investigates the reports and
sends them on to the proper authorities should they document actual breaches of
Nigerian laws or regulations guiding campaign financing.
IFES has built an impressive network of partners in government and civil
society to focus on various issues of importance to Nigeria. This has provided
IFES with a foundation for long-term capacity development, and continued
cooperation with key players. Though a great deal of work has been
accomplished, a long road to reform and democratization remains. The road
ahead is not an easy one, yet IFES is committed to the networks that it has helped
to create as Nigeria moves on the way forward to democratic consolidation.
IFES - NIGERIA
viii
Table and Figures
Major types of political finance - related
corruption -5
A checklist of initiatives to limit corruption
in political finance -12
The distribution of female aspirants in the
2003 primaries by posts -57
ix