Electoral Act: A Means To Curbing Cross Carpeting Of Politicians From One Political Party To The Other.

Electoral Act: A Means To Curbing Cross Carpeting Of Politicians From One Political Party To The Other.

Chapter One

Preface

Background of the study

The conduct of some political pugilists in the Nigerian political arena have, throughout the course of the times, posed a number of difficulties to the political morality of Nigerian politics. These issues have come about as a result of the Nigerian political arena. The problems that are persistently wreaking annihilation on the political geography of the nation include, but aren’t limited to, the celebratory switch of the political platform under which a seeker for election was triumphantly returned to office, which is to the disadvantage of the electorates. The supposedly unbounded use of this political slant in Nigerian politics is fleetly developing a character for being fabulous of its own own. It’s deplorable to see that the practice is methodically managed at a time when the devastated electorates have little or nothing to give in an argument about their adored seeker’ crossing the carpet'( Dike, 2022).

One of the healthiest conduct on popular growth seems to do within the sphere of internal party republic and respect to election regulations. This is an encouraging sign for the future of popular development. enterprises with the nomination, selection, and election of campaigners, directors, and flag liaisons are essential reforming tools on popular connection, and these issues have raised a great deal of solicitude in the vast maturity of arising republic. In Nigeria, the recognition of campaigners for nomination and selection for primary choices are anchored on the strength of the seeker in areas similar as profitable power, political power( obligation),etc., without any due regard on the integrity and capability of the seeker. This is in discrepancy to the United States, where recognition of campaigners for nomination and selection for primary choices are grounded on the seeker’s capability to win( Egwu, 2019). This kind of political permutation has led to political heads, which in turn has led to people launching their own political party, the departure of parties’ big hairpieces, and objectiveness on the part of choosers in general towards the continuing popular process in Nigeria. The present surge has been characterised by numerous judges as canoe jumping, bottom- crossing, party- hopping, high jumping, frog jumping, party switching, departure,cross-carpeting, crossover, harlotry, and so on. This surge has caused query and discussion among academics and choosers in general. This political mindset has contributed to a retardation in the popular process in the nation(www.africapractice.com). The maturity of campaigners in Nigerian politics feel to abandon their juggernauts because to primitive interests and the sybaritic pursuit of pleasure. People of elevation, similar as Ahaji Atiku Abubaka, Mallam Nuru Ribadu, and Senator Bukola Saraki, among others, left the People’s Democratic Party and joined another party, only to latterly do a volte-face and return, either directly or laterally, to the PDP before switching to yet another party. This kind of political rotation requires a great deal of explanation and brings up a great deal of political problems( Eme, 2021). It’s only possible for departure to be salutary to the popular process and the political system when it’s innovated on the selection of an testament. On the other hand, departure will be dangerous to the popular process if it’s the result of abecedarian and egoistic interests. Right from the morning of the Fourth Republic of Nigeria in 1999, the political system has seen a great swell in the proliferation of mushroom political parties and the departure saga. All of these displays feel to be associated with the dissatisfaction of some campaigners in respect to the administration and decision of the party’s directors in the area of choosing seeker to represent the party. still, with the lately streamlined election legislation, which consists of systems that are specific and precise with indigenous arrangements and advancing systems that restate the vote into a political choice, this is no longer the case( Ibrahim, 2018). The first thing that must be done is to census the votes, and for this purpose, a variety of vote counting technologies and kinds of ballots are used. The outgrowth of the election is decided by advancing mechanisms once a census has been collected. In addition,” every registered political party shall give the Commission notice at least 21 days in advance of any convention, congress, conference, or meeting convened for the purpose of” junction” and taking members of its administrative panels, other governing bodies, or nominating campaigners for any of the optional services specified under this Act.” The EA 2010 didn’t make any citation of the junction. In its most recent letter to the party in power, the APC, over the change in leadership of CECPC, INEC is trying to apply this aspect of the law. In Composition( 5), it’s stated that” the convention, congress, conference, or gathering will be rendered unlawful if a political party fails to inform the Commission as specified in subsection( 1)”( Punch, Newspaper, 2022). A new subsection 6 has been added to Section 82 of the Electoral Act of 2010, which is now Section 79 of the Electoral Act of 2022. This subsection states that” where a political party is deregistered, no political association shall be permitted to use the name, symbol, totem, or acronym of the deregistered political party within five times of the deregistration.” According to subsection( 2) of Section 81 of Act 2022,” Political parties that want to combine should each give to the Commission nine months’ notice of their intention to do so before a general election,” This provision of EA 2010 used to be for a period of ninety days. Hence the experimenters need to examine if the electoral act is a means to bridling cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other.

Statement of the problem

Political parties are responsible for setting the parameters of elite competition, and as a result, they give and cover choosers’ access to a variety of voting options. In a manner that’s relatively applicable, the age-old adage that republic without parties is” unbelievable” finds its expression in this setting( Ikelegbe, 2020). also, contest among political actors is only significant when it’s directed toward party institutionalization, which, according to Jinadu( 2019), is a consequence of organizational constancy. else, it’s pointless. To put it another way, political actors don’t just contend against one another for political power; rather, they’re needed to cleave to a set of universal political imperatives. Themulti-party system in a pluralist republic is strengthened by this structure as well as the defining mechanisms forinter-party andintra-party nonintercourses. The maturity of politicians will say that they’re engaging incross-party campaigning because it’s in the stylish interest of the country as a whole. It’s important to flash back that the political parties of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were given their own own chapter in the constitution that was espoused in 1999( Kuenzi, 2020). This is taken from Sections 221 to 229, independently. According to section229.1, a political party is” any association whose conditioning include canvassing for votes in support of a seeker for election to the office of chairman, vice chairman, governor, deputy governor, or class in a legislative house or a original government council.” In other words, a political party is any association whose conditioning include soliciting votes in favor of a seeker for election to the office of chairman, vice chairman, governor, or deputy governor The total of Section V of the Electoral Act of 2022 is devoted, in its wholeness, to political parties. The following is a summary of the most important new vittles included in the legislation According to subsection( 1) of section 75, the operation to register a political party must be filed to INEC no latterly than twelve months before the coming general election. In the EA of 2010, this period was reduced to three months. Section 75( 3) of the Act requires that thenon-registration of any political group be reported within a period of ninety days( Punch review, 2022). The standard was formerly thirty days. Any political organisation that wants to register as a political party must, according to Section 75( 4) of the Act, complete the conditions specified in the constitution and EA within sixty days in order to be eligible for enrollment as a political party. In the EA 2010, it had been set at 30 days ahead. thus this study seeks to examine whether the electoral act is means to bridling cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other.

Ideal Of The Study

The general objects of the study is to examine electoral act A means to bridling cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other. The specific objects is as follows

To examine if the electoral act will check cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other.

ii. To probe the challenges of INEC in bridling cross carpeting of politicians through the use of electoral act.

iii. To find out the benefit of the recently amended electoral act in Nigeria.

iv. To assess the causes of cross carpeting of politician from one political party to the other.

Exploration Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study

Will the electoral act check cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other?

ii. What are the challenges of INEC in bridling cross carpeting of politicians through the use of electoral act?

iii. What are the benefit of the recently amended electoral act in Nigeria?

v. What are the causes of cross carpeting of politician from one political party to the other.

Significance of the study

This study will be significant to INEC as it’ll be exposed to the challenges in enforcing the changes in the electoral act and also perfecting in strategy to conduct free and fair election.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it’ll contribute to the being literature.

Compass Of The Study

The study will examine if the electoral act will check cross carpeting of politicians from one political party to the other. The study will also probe the challenges of INEC in bridling cross carpeting of politicians through the use of electoral act. likewise, the study will assess the causes of cross carpeting of politician from one political party to the other. Incipiently, the study will find out the benefit of the recently amended electoral act in Nigeria. Hence, the study will be demarcated to INEC office Abuja.

Limitation of the study

Like in every mortal bid, the experimenters encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. inadequate finances tend to stymie the effectiveness of the experimenter in sourcing for the applicable accoutrements , literature, or information and in the process of data collection( internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the experimenter resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the experimenter will contemporaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the quantum of time spent on exploration will be reduced.

Description Of Terms

Electoral act Act of Parliament having effect for the purposes of section 58( 4) of the Constitution

Cross carpeting A colloquial term meaning to move from one political party to another

Politicians a person who’s professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an tagged office

Political party an association that coordinates campaigners to contend in a particular country’s choices.