Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Conduct of Elections in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis of Maurice Iwu and Attahiru Jega’s Administration

Election remains the means through which people can occupy various elective positions at different levels in any democratic society, Nigeria inclusive. Though this research is based on the study of elections in two different regimes, 2005-2010 and 2010-2015, it however focused on the management of elections during the said periods. Since the emergence of this fourth republic, Nigerians have looked forward to when elections will be free, fair, credible and acceptable: elections conducted under an atmosphere of peace to the extent that their votes will count. However, this was not to be as the election conducted between 1999 and 2007 were watershed in the history of electoral management in the country. It can therefore be argued that elections in pre and post-colonial Nigeria and after independence have been vexed with issues. This is because they have always been accompanied with acrimony, bitterness, killing, maiming, among others. The paper attempt to investigate three core issues with respect to election management: The conduct of credible elections, introduction of electoral innovations and the personal disposition of the Heads of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in the period under study. The study deployed the desk research as method of analysis. The findings revealed that while the structure (INEC) remains the legitimate body responsible for the conduct of elections in the country, Iwu’s era manipulated it to favour the party in power while Jega’s period witnessed an improvement in the workings of the structure. The research adopts the Structure-Agency framework as prime plank of its analysis.