Adisa, Olalekan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8006-7736, Aghasomwan, Sarah and Keshtiban, Amir ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1647-3094 (2025) Democracy and Challenges of Transition in Ekiti State, Nigeria (2007 -2015). In: International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) conference, April 2025, Bologna, Italy. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Nigeria has struggled to ensure credible and smooth power transitions since 1999, when it returned to democracy. Elections, especially during the Fourth Republic, have been tainted by elite interference, fraud, and violence, which has undermined public trust and prevented the development of strong democratic institutions. This study focusses on Ekiti State, which is representative of Nigeria's larger political landscape, where elections have frequently been contentious, with political elites manipulating electoral processes to maintain power and economic hardships contributing to a culture of vote-buying, or "stomach infrastructure."

Understanding these issues is essential to improving Nigeria's democratic framework and making sure that electoral transitions represent the will of the people rather than the interests of a privileged few. The study evaluates the role of political elites, institutional influence in electoral fraud as well as the major challenges on democratic transition in Ekiti State using the explanatory frameworks of Democratic Elite Theory and Differential Association Theory.

Results show that incumbents, political elites and institutional influences have considerable impact on elections and frequently put winning ahead of democratic ideals. The finding outcomes further revealed that due to widespread poverty, many voters now place more importance on immediate cash rewards than long-term governance results or dividend of democracy, undermining democratic institutions and creating controversy around power transfers, which are all being aided by most of the political parties. To strengthen Nigerian democracy, the study suggests addressing economic vulnerabilities that support election misconduct, encouraging voter education, and enforcing electoral laws more strictly.

Keywords: Political Elites, Democratic Transitions, Nigerian Fourth Republic, Political Parties, Ekiti State.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Status:	Unpublished
School/Department:	London Campus
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/13804

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