SAMUEL TOBECHUKWU OKANI

The election conducted in Nigeria from 1959 till date has be undergoing series of changes and reforms. By the introduction of the Electoral Act which was empowered by the 1999 constitution of Nigeria. Unlike the previous times which election was conducted by decrees and systems. After the transition from military regime to civilian government, the Electoral Act was introduced to govern the electoral system. This Electoral Act over time have served the will of the political class and the party in government. The people were thus far excluded from freely participating in the electioneering process to determine who governs them. This was made possible by the weakness of the Electoral Act that gave room for electoral manipulation and voters intimidation and violence. With the introduction of the Electoral Act 2022, the Act repealed the previous Act and introduced new clauses into the electoral system. The research focus on the dynamics of the Electoral Act, if it reflects the will of the people. This work also reviewed the provisions of the repealed Act and evaluate it with the new Electoral Act 2022 to extract how it promote citizen participation, through laying foundation for free and fair election. Conclusively after critically analysing, the dynamics of the Electoral Act 2022 this work was able to x-ray the positive position of the Act and also some provision which excluded citizens from total participation and in same vain some ambiguity in the Act which may deny the citizens from reaping the benefit. The research
finds that not minding the positive output of the new Electoral Act there that there are weaknesses. Recommendations were made which will straighten the Act so as to deepen democratic participation and improve the people’s confidence on the process