The conduct of an election is a procedure where leaders come to power through a democratic system. It is usually an organized procedure where voters exercise their right of freedom of choice through the casting of ballots. The word ‘elect’ has been defined to mean to decide, choose, or do a particular thing [i]. An election is therefore the process of choosing a person or people to hold a public office. In the modern times, elections have been the main tool for implementing representative democracy. One salient feature that is common amongst the various definitions is that of ‘choice amongst alternatives. This is very important in the sense that through periodic election, the will of the vast majority of the electorate prevails, leading to transparent and purposeful leadership. However, the social, political, technological, economic, historical, cultural and legal system of any given society are the determinant factors of the extent of the success or otherwise of a democratic system, that is to say where these factors which determine voters’ behaviour and attitude are coherently advanced and aligned to democratic principles, the political system will succeed and where they are not, reverse is the case. The periodic conduct of elections affords voters the opportunity to remove representatives and replace them with more vibrant and competent ones thereby stabilizing any perceived flaw in the representation.
[i] Isitor vs Fakorede (2018) 5 NWLR (Part 1612) 349
