The Role of Nigeria Police in Ensuring Free and Fair Election (a Case Study of Oyo State Governorship Election 2019)
CHAPTER ONE
General Objective
The objective of this study is the evaluation of the contribution of Nigeria police force in 2019 governorship election elections.
Specific Objectives
- To assess the performance of police force on their roles during the 2019 governorship election elections in Oyo State
- To identify the challenges that the police force faced during the 2019 governorship election elections in Oyo State
- To propose different strategies to Nigeria Police Force for enhancing a smooth electoral
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
CONCEPTUAL AND THEORETICAL ISSUES
The word ‘police’ came from the Greek word ‘polis’ meaning city and from the Latin word ‘political’ meaning civil administration. Merging the two words shows that the word ‘police’ refer to the civil administration of the city. However, conceptualizing police in this sense would misrepresent the objective of this paper in different ways. First, it could mean a police state, which is not the notion of this paper. Second, the word civil is a concept that has to do with people and government behaving politely devoid of any military or religion connotation. Adopting this concept would also constitute some other nuances not intended for this work because of some imperfections associated with it. For example, we have a civil administration as against military administration, or it may mean cities Police administration only. In this sense, rural areas are not included.
Despite the observed definitional quagmire, this paper benefited from the views expressed by writers such as Shaw (2002), Clarke(1997), Alemika (2011) and others. For instance, Shaw (2002) posits that the ABC of police stands for the protection of lives and property with the prevention of crime and disorder. Shaw (2002) asserts that the ABC of police stands for the protection of lives and property with the prevention of crime and disorder. Clarke (1997) expresses the view that the police are those expected to do the impossible and to do it efficiently within their resources. He stresses the enormous responsibilities of the police and their unlimited powers ranging from the right to know more information about people than the average person needs to know. Alemika (2011) sees the police as the mirror with which the public view the intention and direction of government. He advances the view that the enormous powers of police are tailored towards adequate enforcement of law and order to maintain and sustain public safety and orderly environment. He asserts that a country is useful when the police system is active and commands public confidence. In this manner, the police serve as a lens through which the direction of the government can be assessed.
From the preceding, the police exist for the maintenance of law and order in the society. In this context, the police have shared responsibility with the three principal organs of government. With the judiciary, the police exist for effective criminal justice administration, with legislature he police exist to ensure that the laws and regulations enacted are adequately enforced, and finally, the police are part of the executive arm of government in providing good governance through the provision of public peace and order. As custodian of laws and regulations, the police are meant to ensure the proper order of the society by making sure that everyone obeys the law of the land without prejudice.
There is no gainsaying that the establishment of the Nigeria police force was premised on the needs to promote internal security and socio-political order. It was in this sense that Abba (2014) alludes that the responsibility of modern police transcends the traditional roles of arresting, investigating, and prosecuting offenders to guaranteeing an enabling environment for economic development.
Before the commencement of colonial rule in Nigeria, various ethnic nationalities had different policing arrangements for the maintenance of law and order (Innocent, 1997). The modern-day Nigeria Police Force, however, is of British pedigree. Its history is rooted in the British colonial adventure in the area that constitutes modern Nigeria. Many writers traced the origin of the Nigeria police to the Colonial Constabulary forces established in different West African territories by the British colonial powers as an instrument of pursuing and protecting its commercial interests(Tamuno,1970, Innocent, 1997, Omotola, 2007, Aper,2018). Hence, the Northern Constabulary created in 1888 at Lokoja, the Royal Niger Coast Constabulary formed in 1894 at Calabar, and another colonial Police outfit established in 1896 at Ikeja in addition to the Lagos Colony created in 1861 were all the offshoot of the colonial Constabulary. Major political and administrative developments that took place in the colonial era affected the growth of the Colonial Police. For instance, the emergence of the Southern and Northern Protectorates in early 1900 led to the carving out of some parts of the Royal Niger Constabulary to create the Northern Nigeria Police Force, while some other parts of the Niger Coast Constabulary were carved out to form the Southern Nigeria Police force. (Alemika,2005). Although the Southern and Northern Protectorates were amalgamated in 1914 to form present Nigeria as it were, the establishment of the national Police force took place on 31st April 1930. It should be noted that the colonial overlords established the colonial Police in Nigeria as an instrument of securing and protecting their interest in the area. However, it must be said that it was the era of the first indigenous Inspector General of Police in the person of Louis Okon Edet from 1964-1966 that efforts to indigenize the Nigeria police force were initiated.
This brief history of the Nigeria Police Force aptly shows that as at independence on 1st October 1960, the role of the post-colonial Nigeria Police Force was to ensure safety conditions necessary for internal sovereignty to thrive. Apart from the protective function of people and property through active maintenance of security, peace, and order, the post-colonial Nigeria Police Force is meant to prevent and detect crime, apprehend and prosecute offenders, enforce laws and regulations as well as preserve laws and order in the Nigerian State.
Writers such as Omotola (2007), Oyadiran & Olorungbemi, 2015), Mgba (2017). Afolabi (2018) among others who have examined the role of the Nigeria Police in the electoral process have not painted the police in good form instead they have continued to decry their ineffectiveness. The police have been adjudged to be ineffective, and part of the explanations includes the issues of political influence and corruption which made the members of the Nigeria Police force to be partisan in their electoral responsibilities and functional incapacity to prevent electoral crime. In some cases, the police have been described as the main problem of election security rather than being the solution. (CLEEN, 2010). While some of these issues have received considerable attention in the literature, the argument presented in this study among other things is that though extant electoral laws and guidelines assigned the task of security or policing the electoral process to the police, these legal instruments equally contain provisions that limit the effectiveness of the police. Succinctly put, the Electoral Act of 2015 assigns the issue of security to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a development that has been undermining the professional conduct of the police in the electoral process.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter presents the methodology that was used during this study. It describes the research design, the study population, the sampling techniques and procedures, data collection methods, data collection instruments, validity and reliability, procedure for data collection, data analysis and measurement of variables.
Research Design
The study used descriptive research. Descriptive research “is designed to provide a picture of a situation as it naturally happens or occurred”. It may be used to justify current practice and make judgment and also to develop theories. For the purpose of this study, descriptive research was used to gain in-depth information that was used to find solutions to the research questions of the study. By using descriptive design, the researcher was able to gather quantifiable information that can be used to statistically analyze the target audience. Description research was used to observe and describe a research subject or problem without influencing or manipulating the variables in any way. Descriptive research was used because it provided a rich data set that often brings to light the police role based on what took place during the Oyo state governorship elections of 2019.
Study Population
The study population comprised some of the officers of Nigeria police force, civil society officials, Electoral Commissions officials, politicians and political analysts, media practitioners, other security operatives and finally the public. The population was decided based on the case study of Oyo state. The target population was 2,001,675 as per the voter register of Oyo State for the governorship election. From the target population, an accessible population of 200 was chosen based on the different categories (Nigeria police force officers, civil society officials, Electoral Commissions officials, politicians and political analysts, media practitioners, other security operatives and the general public)
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
This chapter presents and discusses the findings of the study; it examines information collected from the respondents to enable the researcher draw relevant conclusions and recommendations. The objectives of the study were the principal guiding factors used. The data was interpreted according to research objectives and research questions. Appropriate data analysis and presentation techniques were used.
The study was carried out based on 120 participants accounting for a 90% return rate from 133 targeted respondents for the study, two primary tools of data collection were utilized a semi- structured questionnaire and interview while documentary review was the secondary data collection instrument used for the study. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the scored data from the field while Microsoft word was used to analyze the descriptive data.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter consists of the summary, conclusion and gives recommendations and suggested areas for further study based on the findings of the study.
Summary of the findings
The following is the summary of the findings of the study in line with the three study objectives: to find out the role of police force during the election process; to examine the challenges that faces the police force during the election process and to determine the different strategies of enhancing the Electoral Process.
Performance of police force in the 2019 governorship election elections
On whether the Nigeria police is involved in the management of public order during the electoral, majority 74.2% of the total respondents strongly agreed, a majority 83.3% of the total respondents strongly agreed that the Nigeria police is responsible for the security of political participants during the electoral process, a majority 91.7% of the total respondents strongly agreed that the Nigeria police play the role of custody and escorting election materials during the electoral process, majority 61.7% of the total respondents strongly agreed that the Nigeria police is mandated to protect voters during the electoral process, On whether the Nigeria police is responsible for the mitigation of electoral violence during electoral process, majority 60% of the total respondents strongly agreed, majority 51.7% of the total respondents strongly agreed that the Nigeria police is charged with the role of investigations electoral offenses during the electoral process, a cumulative majority 60.8% of the total respondents strongly agreed that The Nigeria police are responsible for accompanying electoral officers.
Challenges the Police face during the2019 governorship election elections
On whether, there is challenge of parallel security agencies during the electoral process, majority 59.2% of the total respondents strongly disagreed On whether the Nigeria police face limited awareness of the electoral laws of the country, majority 50.8% agreed, majority 65% of the total respondents strongly agreed that the Nigeria police face a challenge of eruption of electoral violence, a majority 56.7% of the total respondents agreed that the Nigeria police face a challenge of corruption involving police officers, majority 64.2% of the total respondents agreed that the Nigeria police face a challenge of inadequate funding of police operations for elections, a cumulative majority 54.2% disagreed that The Nigeria police lack effective training in managing security during elections, a cumulative majority 75.8 % agreed that the Nigeria police suffer a lack of professionalism of its officers during the electoral process.
Conclusion
Based on the objectives of this study
Effectiveness of Police role in election process
The police role during the electoral process is clearly spelt in the 1995 constitution (amended) through the various acts and while police are posted on election duty for the protection of lives and properties, protection of ballot boxes, and to ensure secrecy of balloting, the problem now is how to prevent police from brutalizing the population, disorganizing the ballot boxes which are contrary to their mandate as per the constitution.
Challenges of the Police face during election process
Based on study findings, There were several challenges such the increased formation of vigilante groups such as crime prevents with no police interest to disband them, kidnaps, arbitrary arrests, the increased securitization of security process as well as the manner in which the police acted during 2019 electoral process. Until these questions are addressed, there will continue to exist doubts and uncertainty about the role of the police in the electoral process.
Suggested ways of enhancing the Police role in election process by respondents
Based on the study findings, the respondents advocated several avenues for the police to begin addressing the fears of the electorate as regards their credibility, capacity and neutrality in delivering a peaceful election in liaison with the electoral commission and other stakeholder in the Country as the civil society and the citizens.
Recommendations
The study puts forth the following recommendations;
- There is need for continued training of the Nigeria Police Force on the various notions managing electoral security entire electoral process and the importance of an election in the democratization process of Nigeria.
- There is need to investigate and prosecute police officers involved in violence during the pre– election, during and post-election periods to act as a deterrent to others and instill the rule of law among the police officers.
- There is also a need to enhance the welfare of the police officials involved in the electoral process in terms of allowances and benefits.
- Investigate the formation of vigilante groups. These have been considered a potential for violence during the general elections because they have been reported to be organized and equipped to destabilize the voting process.
REFERENCES
- Abba, (2014). The Nigeria police force core values. Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria: Nigeria Police Printing Press.
- Afolabi, S.(2018). The police and the Oyo state governorship election 2019. The South African Journals of African Affairs.10(3), 155-169)
- Ajayi, (2007).Election administration in Nigeria and the challenges of the 2007 elections. The Social Sciences. 2(2), 241-251
- Alemika, O. (2005). Police public community relations in Nigeria. Yaba, Nigeria: Nwankwo Publishing Company.
- Alemika, O. (2011). ‘The Nigeria police: function, powers, and performance. Yaba,Nigeria: Nwankwo Publishing Company.
- Alemika, O. (2013). Criminal victimization, policing, and governance in Nigeria. Lagos, Abuja & Owerri, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundation.
