INEC and the Judiciary as Drivers of Nigeria's Electoral Controversies in the Contemporary Political Landscape.

Preserving the integrity of the electoral process is a hallmark of every democracy. However, 
Nigeria's electoral process is still marked by controversy, doubts, and institutional decay. This 
paper is a critical exploration of how two key institutions, the electoral body in the form of the 
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the court system, have been the factors 
that perpetuate electoral challenges in Nigeria. Although both institutions have the mandate of 
protecting the electoral credibility and justice, there is increasing evidence that they are leading 
toward the development  of democratic instability. The credibility of INEC has been repeatedly 
brought into question as a result of the frequent breakdown in logistics, the accusations of 
partisanship, a lack of accountability in tallying, and the management of the voting. Although there 
have been a lot of reforms and the country has been investing heavily in the elections, the elections 
in Nigeria are very contentious and often not free of irregularities. Cases of the 2007 and 2015 
general elections demonstrate how the commission lacks qualities of structure and the ability to 
operate. Conversely, the courts, which have long been regarded as the referee in any election 
dispute, have come under fire because of rulings that seem to reflect a political bent or approach 
to jurisprudence. Issues like the controversial rulings, e.g. the decision over governorship elections 
in Imo and Osun States, have cast doubt as to the neutrality and integrity of the judicial system 
towards the democratic process. This paper follows a documentary and qualitative analysis 
approach to literature and information on academic articles, the media, court cases, and policy 
briefs. These findings show that INEC, as well as the judiciary, have caused a distrust in the 
electoral process in Nigeria in one way or the other.