INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY ON THIRD-PARTY SPENDING AND THE BREACH OF CAMPAIGN FINANCING LIMIT IN NIGERIA
Keywords:
INEC, Third party spending, Campaign financing, Nigeria.Abstract
In any democratic framework, establishing an effective oversight mechanism for third-party expenditures constitutes the most essential element of political transparency. In light of this, a financial cap was instituted within the 2022 Electoral Act to mitigate excessive financial outlays; however, both politicians and their corresponding political entities have transgressed this limit. The significance of the aforementioned indicates the reasons behind the engagement of politicians, political parties, and their financial backers in illicit party financing and corruption within the Nigerian context. In this context, the present study investigates the relationship between the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) capacity to enforce third-party expenditure regulations among political parties and the persistent non-compliance with campaign financing restrictions in Nigeria. The methodology employed in this research utilized a documentary approach, with data being systematically collected from secondary sources and subsequently subjected to content analysis. The theory of structural functionalism served as an adequate theoretical framework for the comprehensive examination of this study. The findings articulated in the paper indicate that the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) insufficient oversight regarding the engagement of political parties in third-party expenditures facilitates the violation of campaign financing regulations within Nigeria. In light of this conclusion, the paper proffers several recommendations, which include the assertion that INEC should assume a pivotal role in scrutinizing the financial transactions and fiscal integrity of political parties. Furthermore, it is imperative that both INEC and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) enhance their capacities to effectively address the challenges associated with campaign financing.
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