THE RADIO IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN POLITICAL ELECTIONS IN BAYELSA STATE
- Project Research
- 1-5 Chapters
- Quantitative
- ANOVA
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- NGN 5000
Background Of The Study
Electoral corruption is the single most potent threat to democratic transition in Nigeria(Aliu, 2020). Rigging is perpetrated by all political parties relative to their strength. However, it is the party with “incumbency factor” that can rig to make the differences between winning and losing an election. Incumbency, particularly at the federal level guarantees access to and control over election materials and the electoral commission, security agencies and limitless state resources (Jega and Ibeanu 2017). For Kyari, (2019) the lack of free and fair elections will ultimately lead to total loss of faith in the system and that, though the court may make a difference in few cases but, the building and sustenance of democratic culture is beyond the capability of the judiciary. In other words, factors precipitating electoral corruption in Nigeria includes poor electoral administration, rigging, ethnicity, religious sentiments, poor security system during election, political intolerance, lack of well define ideology by the political parties, chronic economic crisis and poverty (Jega and Ibeanu 2017). Such corruption is characterized by wanton destruction of lives and property in what scholars like (Ake, 2015) terms it as warfare. For Ogundiya (2017), elections in Nigeria since independence have become a political liability and source of instability and that various experiences regarding elections in Nigeria have brought the worst of political thuggery and brigandage as well as unmediated and unrestrained violence. The history of elections in Nigeria generally has afforded us the golden opportunity of assessment of the divergent roles of the media in advocating the heights of electoral corruption in Nigeria politics(Anifowoshe, 2016). The issue and question of education, information, mobilization and monitoring has become a very crucial factor in the realization of the national objectives in the context of the electoral process due to lack of media freedom(Agba, 2015). This is as a result of the ugly incidences of various forms of electoral malpractices which have repeatedly threatened the possibility of credible elections and national integration in Nigeria(Agba, 2015). Elections which define our democracy and the governments that spring from them are very weakly regulated. Political parties, candidates and their supporters freely help themselves(Agba, 2015). It is one of the drivers of corruption and bad leadership which are at the foundation of our failing state status.
Furthermore, the role of the mass media during electioneering campaign cannot be overemphasized. As the watchdog of the society, the media monitor election proceedings and furnish the citizens with relevant news concerning developments as they unfold during elections(Iredia, 2017). However, it has been observed that the conventional media of communication such as the radio have inherent limitations in regards to election monitoring. First, is the hegemonic nature of the media structure in Nigeria(Iredia, 2017). The political elite have hijacked the media to promote their vested interest. Hence the ordinary people are denied access to the media. Secondly, due to the vast nature of the country, it is impossible for traditional journalists to cover every locality during elections(Uzuegbunam, 2019). In fact, majority of the journalists limit their coverage to major towns and cities at the detriment of the rural areas where the majority of the electorate resides.
In addition, elections in Nigeria are characterized by all kinds of irregularities like rigging, snatching of ballot boxes, bribery and corruption, violence and falsification of election figures. In view of these irregularities, it is imperative that the radio media be employed in the monitoring of election proceedings in Nigeria(Uzuegbunam, 2019). This is because radio media would to a good extent promote the fight against electoral corruption through public orientation etc. And this will in turn ensure transparency, accountability as well as exposure of all kinds of corruption during elections. In Nigeria, apart from the obtuse, generic laws and their weak enforcement mechanisms, there is no serious effort to control electoral or campaign financing and other electoral malfeasance(Ogundiya, 2017). Having considered the aforementioned, this study is solely focused on examining the role of the role of radio in fighting corruption in political elections in Bayelsa State.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
Since independence, Nigeria democratization processes had witnessed massive electoral fraud followed by violence which has compromised the very ethics of liberal democracy in spite of several electoral reforms that have no positive effect(Kyari, 2019). And this predicament to democratization process in Nigeria has rather been on the increase and there is no evidence of any serious and sincere effort made to stop it from reaching an unwanted level. Virtually, these have been breeding all sorts of violent scenarios to the possible feature of a total anarchy, a situation which some consider Nigeria moving towards a failed state (Onwe, Nwogbaga, & Ogbu, 2015).
Although Nigeria has been experiencing electoral related disputes for many years since independence, disputes relating to the legitimacy of election process and results have been escalating in the past decade. Many presidential candidates especially from the opposition parties have refused to concede defeat mainly on the ground that the declared election results were not legitimate as they were fabricated in favour of the ruling party(Anifowoshe, 2016). In some cases this has led to post electoral violence which has seriously affected the Nigeria socially, politically and economically. In spite of various efforts taken by the Nigeria government and regional organization to address electoral related problems in the country, the problem still persist. However, Okafor, Ebenezar, & Daniel(2017), opined that the mass media could serve as a useful tool to curtail the height of electoral corruption in Nigeria. The mass media specifically the radio have been recognize the carry out the primary responsibility of educating, informing, mobilizing and monitoring local and non local affairs. Upon this background, the radio is anticipated to significantly contribute the war against electoral malpractices in Nigeria context.
In Bayelsa State, the radio is said to have massive impact on passing political orientations as well as other societal issues to its audience. This has led to enlightening, and informing the masses of the nature, height, and implications of facilitating or promoting electoral corruption which most times is in form of vote selling/buying, sealing of ballot boxes, disruption of election process, use of fictitious names for registration of voters, illegal printing of voter's cards, and stuffing the ballot boxes with fake ballot etc. However, the effectiveness of radio in fighting all forms of electoral malpractices, violence, and corruption have been severely affected by notable challenges which include most importantly lack of maximum media freedom etc. From the aforementioned, the study simply seek to assess the role of radio in fighting corruption in political elections in Bayelsa State.
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