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ABSTRACT
The democratic consolidation initiatives being pursued in Nigeria have recently come under heightened attention, and the recent string of disputed election outcomes offers a substantial impediment to those efforts. As a result, this casts serious doubt on whether or not INEC is truly independent in its mission to ensure that all Nigerians have access to free and fair elections. This study was inspired by the challenges created by unresolved elections and sets out to take on the big task of critically investigating elections and democratic consolidation by analyzing inconclusive elections in Nigeria. The goals of this research are to better understand what causes inconclusive elections in Nigeria, how those elections affect the country's majority rule government, how credible elections affect the health of Nigeria's democratic institutions, how the peculiarity of inconclusive elections can be better handled by INEC, and how these issues can be prevented in the future. This research is grounded in the Systems theory and makes use of both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The questionnaire was the most valuable primary source, while articles from reputable magazines, newspapers, and academic papers were invaluable secondary sources. The following were the conclusion reached by the study after meticulously examining the data and presenting its findings: Skilled public servants should not be swapped out for party followers. The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant entities, such as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), should start a rigorous education and value-orientation and re-orientation campaign to reposition democratic institutions and the people. The rights of voters and the responsibilities they play in the electoral process must be clearly articulated. Since the success of a democracy depends on informed and engaged citizens, civic education for voters is crucial in every election. The study's results suggest that as long as politics in Nigeria serves the interests of only a select few, rather than all Nigerians, elections will continue to yield results that lack clarity. To avoid cases where elections are deemed inconclusive due to violence and other crimes connected to the election process, it is crucial that the conditions for free and fair elections be put into place. In order to address the preventable causes of Nigeria's disputed election results, it is necessary to explore all possible changes that can be done within the constraints of the current legal framework. Getting out of the political rut that is often generated when elections fail to produce obvious winners requires fortifying our institutions so that they more effectively represent the depth and preeminence of the law. Election-related violence is widely acknowledged as a major threat to Nigeria's democracy and warrants a renewed focus on stringent implementation of related laws. Doing so would help stop election-related violence.
