| Problem:
The widespread rejection of the results of the April 2007 general
elections and the poor performance of the Independent National Election
Commission and the political parties show that the capacity to conduct
free and fair elections in Nigeria remains abysmally low. This is
particularly disappointing because the elections represented a crucial
test for the long-term sustainability of democracy in Nigeria . Obstacles
to a credible 2007 elections included inadequate election administration,
insufficient civil society participation, widespread violence, corruption
and intimidation, weak party organization and infrastructure, and
public disaffection with the electoral process. The fact that the
results of the April 2007 elections are unacceptable to both a majority
of Nigerians and its development partners demands interventions to
strengthen the electoral adjudication process to help provide legitimacy
to the incoming government.
Approach: This activity, implemented
with joint oversight by USAID and the U.S. Embassy, provides an
opportunity for a flexible approach to democracy assistance in Nigeria
. The approach includes mitigating the fall out of the flawed elections,
mitigating widespread disaffection with the outcome of the election,
and assisting the election adjudication process in a way that increases
the legitimacy of the incoming government. This activity is implemented
under three separate but integrated components with each component
managed by one of the partners. The first of these components focuses
on strengthening the capacity of the Election Tribunals to manage
and administer elections adjudication. The second focus is on strengthening
civil society groups to: i) conduct civic and voter education, ii)
monitor the adherence of electoral bodies to election timetables
and activities, and iii) advocate for electoral reforms through
the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC). This aims to increase transparency,
reduce electoral violence, and encourage issues-based campaigns.
Anticipated Results:
- Participation by stakeholders in proceedings of the Electoral
Reform Committee (ERC)
- A strengthened legal and regulatory framework for elections
- Greater political party competitiveness
- Successful coverage of the campaigns and elections by international
and domestic observers
- Increased participation by people with disabilities, women and
youths in the electoral process
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