THE ELECTORAL LAWS IN NIGERIA FROM 1922 TO 2022: THE IMPROVEMENTS/DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 2022 ELECTORAL ACT

Abstract

Credible elections are a salient indicator of democratic consolidation and the principal institutionalised means of
forming and changing democratic governments. A central determinant of the success of any election are the
institutions which structure the behaviour of participants and the choices available to them, hence their belief in
pay-offs to individuals and groups. The guiding principles and regulations of the general elections in Nigeria
between 1992 to the present day are to be found in the 1989 and 1999 Constitutions and in the various Electoral
Acts in that period. These documents not only set out the rules, the enactment of the Electoral Act usually signals
the beginning of the electoral contest. The Constitution and the Act together make elaborate provision for voter
registration, party and candidate registration, campaign financing and regulation, election observation, ballot
design, polling stations, voting, counting, and tabulation, election management bodies, and dispute settlement
authorities. This paper reviews critically the constitutional provisions on elections and the Electoral Acts from
1992 to date in the context of the challenges of achieving credible elections in Nigeria.