Party Discipline and the Crisis of Election Administration in Contemporary Nigeria

The literature on the challenges of election administration in Nigeria is replete with issues bordering on the ineffectiveness of the election management body (EMB), ostensibly leaving out the political behaviour of other critical stakeholders and its implications for the administration of elections. It is against this backdrop that this article examined the crisis of election administration from the prism of party discipline. It argued that, since Nigeria's Election Management Body (EMB) is saddled with the responsibilities of conducting elections, a means by which political parties compete for, and attain political power, the manner in which political parties and their members conduct themselves and abide by the rules guiding their organisations has ripple effects on the performances of the EMB. Anchored on group and power theories as its analytical framework, the study noted that party indiscipline has continued to fuel election maladministration in contemporary Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative research method with data for the study drawn from secondary sources including books, journal articles and internet materials. Data were argumentatively and descriptively analysed. It concluded that playing by the rules of the game remains the assured way political parties could enhance the effectiveness of Nigeria's EMB in ensuring credible electoral processes. The paper recommended that the EMB should entrench stiffer penalties, including deregistration and outright ban from contesting election for a specified period, for political parties and candidates found culpable of indiscipline.