ActionAid Election Project in Nigeria

According to the organisers, the concentration of the ActionAid's election work with selected partners stemmed from the fact that they had a strong presence at both state and community levels, and these partners were in a position to deploy their experience and connections with their constituencies to deliver on the objectives of the project. The partners also already had structures in place, which the project could plug into, such as the Community Development Committees and the School-based Management Committees. ActionAid Nigeria partnered with local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), coalitions, and traditional and religious groups who had interests in facilitating citizens' participation in the electoral process.

The project had 7 main activities, ranging from stakeholders' forums and conferences to capacity building and public information campaigns:

• Civil Society Election Stockholder's Forum - This monthly forum brought together civil society organisations (CSOs) working on elections in order to share experiences, track electoral processes, and ensure honest conduct of elections and impartial observation.
• National Conference on Politician Manifestos and Accountability in Nigeria - ActionAid International Nigeria partnered with the National Orientation Agency to bring political parties, media, and civil society together to discuss issues related to linkages between political manifestos and accountability in governance in Nigeria.
• Capacity Building - Training was held on Protecting People's Mandate (PPM) in elections, which was designed to: build skills related to the role of elections and mandates in governance and community development; build civil society capacity in understanding the institutions in the electoral process; and increase skills in designing Mandate Protection Plans/Strategies.
• Campaigns - ActionAid held 2 campaigns that were designed to mobilise the Nigerian public towards a non-violent election process, foster an understanding of political campaigning, and increase understanding of how to demand explanations around particular campaign issues.
• Research and Advocacy - The project used participatory research methods to bring to the fore issues of electoral violence in selected sites in Nigeria. Research was also conducted into the current state of social and development targets in the country. Advocacy around electoral issues was done via town hall forums that brought political candidates and communities together in open discussion.
• Election Observation - The project mobilised civil society to participate in the observation of the elections. According to organisers, over 500 observers were involved in this activity.
• Monitoring of Election Petitions - The project monitored the election petition processes in selected sites across the country to measure how aggrieved candidates were using the Election Petition Tribunal and to assess the overall delivery of electoral justice.

Democracy and Governance

According to ActionAid, governance has been a major challenge for Nigeria since independence in 1960. Incessant military coups and dictatorships resulted in the erosion of a civilised political culture anchored in periodic free and fair elections. Another factor that Nigeria's elections over the years have had to grapple with is electoral violence which has left in its wake "a culture of might is right and winner takes all." Voter apathy is also a consequence of citizens' dissatisfaction with the violence they had to face at polling booths during elections. Organisers say the above electoral problems in Nigeria have in no small measure affected the legitimacy and the growth of democracy in Nigeria.