Need for Political Education and the Role of Civic Education in Reducing Electoral Malpractice in Nigeria

Abstract

The idea of civic education and its impact on Nigeria's political growth, particularly in a democratic context, were examined in this study. It investigated how much civic education could be used to reduce election fraud in underdeveloped nations. The report suggested creating a comprehensive civic education curriculum. Political instability, primarily caused by crises in Nigeria's electoral process, and specifically by electoral malpractices, has plagued the country for far too long. Nigeria's political and electoral processes have been marked at various levels of political participation by incidents of political thuggery, chaos, militarization, violence, vote manipulation, endless lawsuits, and a crisis of legitimacy over the course of the country's decades-long existence as a sovereign state. This paper's content shows how civil education can be used to introduce citizens to the fundamental institutions, norms, and values of a democratic political system at an early age in order to reduce or eliminating election fraud from the democratic system in Nigeria. The following suggestions were offered in this regard: that educational stakeholders should create a comprehensive civic education curriculum that incorporates the issues mentioned above; that all levels of government should launch vigorous, regular campaigns on policies and initiatives that will increase the majority of citizens' involvement in the democratic process by promoting civic education; that in order to better actualize true democracy and advance national development, civil societies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should support government efforts to encourage citizens to acquire civic awareness; Prior to the nation's elections, the National Orientation Agency ought to start implementing civic education initiatives; The government ought to set up a capable Criminal prosecution of electoral criminals, the electoral crimes tribunal, and, finally, the need for stakeholders to reorient our society's ideals are all ongoing tasks.