ELECTION MANAGEMENT AND POLITICAL APATHY IN NIGERIA (2019 AND 2023) A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

The study critically examined election management and political apathy in Nigeria during the 2015 and 2019 elections. The objective of the study was to assess the cause of political apathy in Nigeria’s election process, to examine the ways electoral management induced political apathy in Nigeria, identify the evidence of political apathy during the 2015 and 2019 elections and determine how political apathy can be discouraged in Nigeria. The hypothesis formulated for the study was the greater the effect of political apathy, the lesser the level of political participation and ineffective management of elections is likely generate political apathy among the electorate. Due to the qualitative nature of the research, the descriptive research methods was adopted. Secondary data sources were used as sources of data collection findings revealed that he major causes of political apathy are bad governance, the electoral body (INEC), electoral violence, the international community, the police and other security agencies and poor political or voter education. Findings also revealed that the cumbersome nature of voter registration, lack of competent electoral officials and the cumbersome nature of the voting process are ways in which the electoral management induced political apathy in Nigeria between 2015 and 2019 election. The ways of discouraging political apathy includes conducting credible and hitch free elections, adequate education and orientation of voters, provision of good leadership and governance by the government and provision of adequate security to enforce law and order without interfering with the electoral process. The study concludes that there is an obvious decline in political participation as evident in 2015 and 2019 elections with the government and political leader should restore citizens’ confidence by fulfilling electoral promises, employ different approaches to enlighten the citizens on dangers of political apathy, the electoral body INEC should deliver credible election and should reject any form of interference and inducement by politicians and should devise innovative strategies to correct past errors.