FRACTURED STRUCTURE, CREDIBLE ELECTIONS AND THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA

Year 2016, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 133 - 150, 01.06.2016

N. Alliyu E. E. Obioha A. M. Lawal

Abstract

The emergence of ethnic nationalities and their violent demands in Nigeria within
the past decade shows that the social structure upon which Nigeria is erected is
beginning to be split slowly but surely. The ethnic nationalities cut across all the
major ethnic groups in Nigeria. They include Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in
Southwest Nigeria; Moment for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) in the
South-South; EgbesuBoys in the South East; Alakio in the Middle Belt of Nigeria
and Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria. Aside the ethnic nationalities, ethnic sociocultural
and sometimes political groups have raised consistent alarm over the
years for the convocation of Sovereign National Conference to determine the
existence or otherwise of Nigeria and to discuss how Nigerians should relate and
live with one another. The subtle demands of the socio-cultural groups, such as
Afenifere in Yoruba region, Ohaneze in the Igbo region and the Arewain the
Hausa/Fulani region; the violent demands of the ethnic militias indicates the
inherent fracture of the structure of the nation Nigeria. The paper argues that there
is no amount of credible elections conducted in such a fractured structure that will
deliver good governance, effective political accountability and enable Nigerians
fulfil their hopes and aspirations as the desires of several ethnic nationalities
agitate for a National Conference. Elections have been held in the past and it has
failed to meet the yearnings of the majority of the people as reflected in the
demands in the groups over the years, because of the structural defects. The paper
concludes therefore that it is only a structural change and transformation that
addresses the structural defects and meets the desires of the people that can secure
the future of Nigeria before any credible election can be of any useful importance
as a tool of transiting from one government to another.

Keywords

Ethnic nationalities, socio-cultural groups, change, transformation

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