INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND CHALLENGES OF MONITORING POLITICAL PARTY CAMPAIGN FINANCING IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the importance of excursion in the teaching of geography in upper basic schools in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. The study found out the factors influencing the use of excursion in the teaching of geography; importance of excursion in the following of geography in secondary schools; problems of excursion in the teaching of geography; process of planning excursion; and suggest possible ways of improving the teaching of geography through the use of excursion. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design and the simple random sampling technique was adopted in administering 150 questionnaires to the respondents. Thereafter, the data collected were analyzed and the research questions designed were answered and hypotheses formulated were tested accordingly. The result of the findings indicated that excursion is very important in the teaching of geography in secondary schools and that finance, transportation, time, choosing a place for excursion and size of class are major factors which influences excursion in secondary schools. The study concluded that excursion has played a key role in enhancing student academic performance in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. The study recommended that the government should place much emphasis either through public campaign or awareness program to secondary schools offering geography on the importance of excursion in the teaching of geography in upper basic schools in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page - - - - - - - - - i
Cover Page - - - - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgment - - - - - - - - - iv
Table of content - - - - - - - - - vii
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study - - - - - - - - 1
Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - 5
Research Question - - - - - - - - 7
Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 8
Hypothesis - - - - - - - - - - 8
Significance of the Study - - - - - - - 9
Scope and Delimitations of the Study - - - - - - 10
Definition of Terms - - - - - - - - 11
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Literature Review - - - - - - - - - 12
Independence National Electoral Commission - - - - 12
INEC and Election Challenges - - - - - - - 16
Democracy and Political Party Campaign - - - - - 20
INEC Funding and Political Campaign - - - - - 22
INEC’s Role in Electoral Reform Management - - - - 23
Political Party Campaign Financing - - - - - - 24
Monitoring Political Party Campaign - - - - - - 27
Appraisal of Reviewed Literature - - - - - - 30
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
Introduction - - - - - - - - - - 33
Research Design - - - - - - - - - 33
Population of the Study - - - - - - - - 33
Sample of the Study - - - - - - - - 33
Sampling Method/Procedure - - - - - - - 34
Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 35
Validity of Instrument - - - - - - - - 36
Reliability of Instrument - - - - - - - - 36
Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - - - 37
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Analysis of the Questionnaire Data - - - - - - 38
Analysis of the Questionnaire Data - - - - - - 38
Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of
monitoring political party campaign financing - - - - 41
Analysis of Research Questions - - - - - - - 47
Testing of Research Hypotheses - - - - - - 50
Perception of Politicians about Political Party Campaign Financing - 57
Perception of electorate about political party campaign financing
beyond bribery and embezzlement - - - - - - 57
Factors influencing individual’s perception about
political party campaign financing in Nigeria - - - - 58
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary Of Work, Conclusion And Recommendations
5.1 Summary of Work - - - - - - - - 60
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - 61
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - 62
References - - - - - - - - - 63
Appendix - - - - - - - - - 63
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In recent times, monitoring political party campaign financing in Nigeria has raised concern among governments, citizens, and the community worldwide (Fred, 2021). However, few studies have sought to explore politician’s willingness to sponsor electoral campaigns without any form of biasness to rig the election or engage in electoral malpractice at all levels (Federal, State and Local Government). Campaign financing has been a major concern in Nigeria. Significant and unregulated campaign financing often create an uneven playing field in election contest. Large sums of money give certain parties and/or candidates undue advantage over others. Very often the candidates with the most money always win the election or party nomination process. Wide discrepancies in levels of funding between parties and candidates constrains opportunities for political competition and tend to disenfranchise challengers.
According to Hauser (2019), difficulty in financing electoral campaigns continues to ravage societies around the world. The fight against which political party dominates and become ruling party have affected the true nature of INEC conducting a free and fair election. Credible election in Nigeria can only be fruitful if approached from multiple standpoints. Thus, credible election must also be approached from a political perspective. It becomes apparent that the needs of political parties to fight against electoral malpractice could be addressed by engaging and strengthening partnerships with Independent National Electoral Commission. Thus, it seems beneficial to develop guidelines and standards to facilitate collaborations and dialogue in a participatory and transparent way (Hauser, 2019).
One of the greatest threats to economic and political development of any nation is political instability and corruption, therefore, the challenges of conducting free and fair election remain a major devastating issue facing Nigeria since she gained independence, although, this phenomena has become a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our system. Nevertheless, its solution rest in our hands and cannot be put off to another day that is why many countries have put in place different mechanism to end the spate of inability of INEC to monitor political party campaign financing. Electoral rigging in Nigeria has deeply entrenched in the national ethics, politics, civil society, Public and Private Sectors, and has been deeply permeated by a pervasive and debilitating culture so much that it is best regarded as been institutionalized (Igbuzor, 2018).
In Nigeria today, sponsorship of a political party or candidate is effectively a business investment, which the investor must recoup the moment his candidate gets into public office. The very peculiar nature of Nigeria’s socioeconomic environment characterized by hunger and literacy make the electors and indeed government agencies susceptible to manipulation by corrupt politicians who take advantage of inadequate electoral laws which creates a leeway to unlimited access to political finance sufficient to destroy the electoral process.
As Nigerian struggle to tame the psycho-social beast know as corruption, they have particularly beamed to searchlight on the behavior of public official (civil servant military and police personnel, elected official etc) and former public officials, contractors, business associates of public official. However, one sector of society that has escaped the penetrating searchlight is education. Therefore, the challenges of INEC monitoring political party campaign financing cannot be won without making a determined effort to purge the political sector of the psycho-social beast. Unfortunately, very little research has been carried out to examine the challenges INEC face in monitoring political party campaign financing. More than ever before politics have become profit oriented in their struggle to survive; neglecting their basic function to represent their people effectively. How political parties finance their campaigns is critical in any democratic election. Candidates invest large amounts of their private savings to contend in the elections. This means that only individuals willing to invest large amounts of money become candidates. Money distorts the candidate selection process within parties and largely influences who wins the elections. Electoral laws governing how parties should secure and spend their funds are ineffective as there is a lack of knowledge about them. As a result such laws have limited enforceability (Okunade, et al 2009).
It is unfortunate the money meant for the public is delivered into the banks account of corrupt bureaucrats are overpaid, and the people end up suffering. According to Transparency International (2014), Nigeria is ranked 136th out of 182 countries surveyed in its corruption perception index indicating the level of corruption in the country as compared to other countries. Although this came as an improvement from the previous years, it did not result from an improved system of governance; rather it was due to an increase in the number of countries that participated in the survey. Between 2010 and 2011, Nigeria’s rank actually decreased by 9 spots, showing an increase in corruption despite the efforts of the government to rid the nation of corruption. This survey shows a lack of accountability from public officials and a lax system of governance in the country. As a result corruptible acts are not harshly penalized and easier to get away with, within the country’s public sector. Irrespective of the sophistication of the methods adopted by criminals, the common characteristics of the crime include cheating, lying and stealing. Corruption is a menace in the public sector, although is a global malaise, the extent of its reach in the public sector was tragically stupendous. All indicators showed that the spread of this cancer had become frightening.
Speaking of corruption there is a common misperception that corruptive activities are strictly seen at pour countries, strictly seen at just certain vocations, strictly seen at certain times, but, if we analyze the synonyms for corruption: dishonesty, immorality, harm, fraud and so on, soon we are going to realize that corruption is so wide and undefined as a concept and because of that it can be seen in different layers, different intensities all around the world. There is no such place without corruption, but there is an environment where this kind of miss behavior is on its margins (Fred, 2021). Speaking on the first one, because the corruption is almost common on everyday basics there is a whole group of generations that from the start of their academic carrier are getting used to see corruptive activities, and are getting used to see that nobody is trying to stop it, then they join the whirlpool of corruption. Today, these people cannot make the difference between right and wrong, good or bad, corruptive or transparent. This is the field where we personally believe that we can and we are acting.
We are convinced that almost every politician knows or remembers only the blunt form of corruption illustrated in the form of rigging election. The good thing about the awareness raising activities is that they can be used as a media which will help the politicians to find out more about the different types of corruption and the ways to fight against them (Aigbokhaevbolo, 2012). This study therefore seeks to address issues relating to Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Statement of the Problem
The world today is face with a large number of problems that threaten our survival on this planet. Not all part of the world, however, are equally hit by problems that rank among the most serious threats to the humans race; high rate of unemployment poverty, low level of education, poor technological development, level, gender discrimination, ethnic and religious inequality and high corruption etc (Okolie, 2016). These issues are mostly related to the countries in the transition and developing parts of the world. However, in many developed countries, electoral malpractice is also endemic within the society. Namely, corruption entered this area and serious endangers schools, polytechnics and colleges as well as Nigerian environment. Corruption is a major problem in a lot of countries, endemic in all sectors. But the one that is perhaps the most troubling is the political sector (Fred, 2021).
Electoral malpractice has remained an endemic that has undoubtedly eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian society. It continues to pose greater challenge to our prolonged quest for political and socio-economic development. One of the major challenges of identifying corruption is the problem of perception. This posses a major problem to the challenges posed by INEC in monitoring political party campaign financing in Nigeria. Ordinary Nigerians have their own perception on what constitutes corruption; some perceive it only in terms of embezzlement while others see it differently. Apart from the fact that electoral rigging takes diverse forms (bribery, conflict of interest, embezzlement, fraud and extortion etc.), there is no broad consensus among politicians on the meaning of political campaign. When people talk about campaign, usually they refers to organizing political rally to market their-selves. Hardly do they think of the type of political rally that destroys the minds of our people and siphons the moral value of our society. This type of political party is more dangerous and more serious threatening the feature of Nigeria.
The biggest problem about the perception of electoral malpractice is the unwillingness of political parties to admit the existence of it. The political sector must fight against this blindfolded policy. We should try to change the political system to a better and transparent one and hopefully corruption free. Ughelli South L.G.A sooner or later must face with the fact of INEC monitoring political party campaign financing and start reforms in this field. There is a certain denial or not readiness to solve the problem. We believe that in this time the political life and spirit are in great danger (Okolie, 2006).
Political party finance has been identified as a source of corruption in several countries. Political finance laws and regulation, through which political parties and candidates for political office declare their funding sources, are among the main instruments. Recent history has witnessed the pooling together of resources all over the world into a network of global awareness against unregulated use of money in politics. It is because of this ugly scenario that the researcher wants to discuss Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Research Questions
In-order to guide the study and achieve the research objectives of the study, the following research questions was formulated:
i. How do politicians perceived political party campaign financing?
ii. Do the electorate perceived political party campaign financing beyond bribery and embezzlement?
iii. What factors influence individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in Nigeria?
iv. How does political party campaign financing perception affect the moral status of urban and rural dwellers?
Purpose of the Study
The main aim of the study is to examine Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli South, L.G.A of Delta State. Specific objectives of the study are to:
i. ascertain the perceived perception of political party campaign financing
ii. find out if the electorate perceived political party campaign financing beyond bribery and embezzlement
iii. find out the factors influencing individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in Nigeria
iv. investigate the effect political party campaign financing perception on the moral status of urban and rural dwellers.
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were tested in this study
H01: There is no significant changes in the perception of politicians on political party campaign financing.
H02: There is no significant changes in the perception of electorates on political party campaign financing beyond bribery and embezzlement.
H03: There are no significant factors influencing individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in Nigeria.
H04: There is no significance effect of political party campaign financing on the moral status of urban and rural dwellers.
Significance of the Study
Nigeria has a rich political background from colonization to post independence democratic governance. The country gained its independence in 1960 and had democracy only for less than a decade before a military takeover; nonetheless, this takeover was very chaotic because it was followed by a series of a coup d’états of one military regime after another. Although the nation finally gained full democracy in 1999, it still suffers from the remnants of the military regimes because some top officials in the present government once held leadership positions in the military. It is important to highlight the public sector in Nigeria because it is an essential part of the government and it plays a key role in the implementation of services that are vital to the economic growth of the country. It coordinates the federal ministries, advises political officials, formulates and implements government’s policies, gathers and supplies data for policy makers, ensures continuity of services and public relations services. These roles are important in running an efficient administration, because the public sector can either make or mar any administration.
In analyzing the public sector, it is necessary to look at its genesis and the significant reforms that were adopted. This will provide a better understanding of the struggles being encountered and possible recommendations to overcome them. Moreover, there is a need to examine the perception on corruption and whether it can stall the sector’s ability to be efficient in the delivery of services to the citizens. Furthermore, it is critical to look at the origins of corruption in the public sector, to analyze these issues and shed some light on why some government officials engage in corrupt practices against the basic objectives of their jobs. By examining all these factors, the study provides a better understanding of the Nigerian public sector, its level of corruption and calls for the implementation of policies that will reduce corruption.
The significance of the study cannot be over emphasis. The study will serve as reference material for further research in similar area of study. It will also add value to the bodies of existing knowledge on the subject matter under investigation. The research will also serve as a guide to the educational stake holders as well as the general public on how to prevent and resist corruption tendency in the educational sector in Nigeria. Consequently, the findings and recommendations of the study will also help in reducing the image of the educational sector in Nigeria. In the eye of international community’s which sees Nigeria as the most corrupt nation in Africa.
Scope and Delimitations of the Study
The research limits its scope to Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli South, L.G.A of Delta State. However, conducting a research of this nature certainly there must be some constraints such as time factor, insufficient funds, lack of free access to relevant literatures and poor cooperation from the respondents at process of conducting interviews and questionnaires administration to the targeted population of the study.
Definition of Terms
Accountability: This is the true openness or giving account of what has been expended by the public officer holder.
Election: An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.
Ethical Value: These are those qualities, which ensure that a member behaves with integrity in all professional, business and financial relationships and that he or she should strive for objectivity in all professional and business judgments.
Financial: The management of money especially money controlled by a government, company or large organization.
Misappropriation: This is the misuse of public fund especially by public office holder in the ministries.
Political Campaign: This is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided.
Political Party: This is an organization of people which seeks to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power.
Public Sector: This include all organization set up by the government to satisfy human want to take care of specific want, specific needs of the public without profile purpose.
Transparency: As used in the humanities and in a social context more generally, implies openness in every area of business or globally.
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