Lessons from Electoral Management and Processes in West Africa

The paper examines electoral management in Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, highlighting a trend toward independent or hybrid EMB models. It identifies critical challenges including the high cost of elections, executive interference in appointments and tenure, and the complexities of electoral dispute adjudication. The author argues that the effectiveness of EMBs is often undermined by a political culture of impunity and zero-sum politics, despite formal legal guarantees of independence.

• West African countries are adopting three primary EMB models: single independent bodies (Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria), multiple independent bodies (Sierra Leone), and hybrid/mixed systems (Cape Verde and Senegal).
• Formal legal guarantees of independence do not always ensure actual autonomy, as EMBs with similar legal protections show widely different levels of practical independence based on factors like country size and the balance of power between political parties.
• Executive interference remains a significant hurdle, with presidents in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria removing or forcing the resignation of EMB members despite constitutional or statutory security of tenure.
• The cost of conducting elections is increasing across the region, with significant variations in cost per voter that often reflect the stability and democratic history of the environment.
• Electoral dispute resolution is a persistent problem, often characterized by delays in the judiciary that can result in cases remaining in adjudication for the entire term of the elected official.
• To mitigate judicial delays and conflict, some countries like Ghana and South Africa have implemented non-formal alternative electoral dispute resolution mechanisms (AEDRs) focusing on conciliation over litigation.
• While constitutional presidential term limits are generally respected across Africa, there is strong public resistance to attempts by incumbents to extend their tenure, as seen in failed attempts in Nigeria and Malawi.

APA

Jinadu, A. (2014). Lessons from Electoral Management and Processes in West Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-194.pdf

Chicago

Jinadu, Adele. Lessons from Electoral Management and Processes in West Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-194.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jinadu |first1=Adele |title=Lessons from Electoral Management and Processes in West Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-194.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jinadu2014lessons, author = {Jinadu, Adele}, title = {{Lessons from Electoral Management and Processes in West Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-194.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }