Democratic Institutions in Nigeria SS2 Citizenship & Heritage Studies Lesson Note

Subject: Citizenship and Heritage Studies  

Class: SS2 

Focus: INEC, Political Parties, and the Judiciary

What are Democratic Institutions?

Imagine you want to bake a cake. You need a mixing bowl, an oven, and a whisk. Without these tools, you just have ingredients on a table.

Democratic Institutions are the “tools” or “machines” that make democracy work. They ensure that elections are fair, that people have choices, and that the law is followed. In Nigeria, our three main machines are INEC, Political Parties, and the Judiciary.

INEC: The “Umpire” of Elections

INEC stands for the Independent National Electoral Commission. Think of them as the “Referee” in a football match.

• Their Job:
  1. Registration: They register voters and give out PVCs (Permanent Voter Cards).
  2. Organizing the Match: They set the dates for elections and provide the ballot boxes and papers.
  3. Counting: They count the votes and announce the winner.
  4. Registering Parties: They decide which political groups meet the rules to become official parties.
• Why “Independent”? The name says they should be independent so that the person currently in power cannot tell them who to declare as the winner.

Political Parties: The “Choices”

A political party is a group of people who share the same ideas about how Nigeria should be run. They join together to contest for power.

• Their Roles:
  1. Recruitment: They look for people (candidates) to run for President, Governor, or Senate.
  2. The Manifesto: This is their “Promise Book.” It tells the citizens what they will do about light, roads, and schools if they win.
  3. Education: They teach people about their rights and why they should vote.
  4. Opposition: The parties that lose aren’t useless! Their job is to watch the winning party and shout when they are doing something wrong. This keeps the government on its toes.

The Judiciary: The “Interpreter”

The Judiciary consists of the Courts (Supreme Court, Appeal Court, High Courts) and the Judges.

• Their Job in Democracy:
  1. Settling Disputes: After an election, if Candidate A thinks Candidate B cheated, they don’t fight in the street. They go to the Election Tribunal (a special court).
  2. Protecting Rights: If the government tries to take away your freedom of speech, the Judiciary is there to stop them.
  3. Interpreting the Law: When the Constitution is confusing, the Judges explain what it actually means.
• The “Last Hope”: We call the Judiciary the “last hope of the common man” because it’s the only place where a poor student can win a case against a powerful politician if the law is on the student’s side.

Challenges Facing These Institutions

Even though these “machines” are designed to work well, they often face “human” problems in Nigeria:

1. Corruption: Sometimes, people try to “buy” the referee (INEC) or the judge (Judiciary).
2. Thuggery: During elections, some people use violence to stop INEC from doing its job or to scare voters.
3. Lack of Internal Democracy: Some political parties don’t allow their members to vote for their own candidates; instead, a “Godfather” just picks who he likes.
4. Funding: INEC and the Courts need a lot of money to stay independent. If the Executive branch controls their money, it’s hard for them to say “No” to the President.

The Human Element: Where Do You Fit In?

These institutions are made of people. INEC is made of Nigerians; the Judges are Nigerians. If we want these institutions to work, we need people of integrity to work there. As an SS2 student, you are the future lawyer, future INEC Chairman, or future Party Leader. How you behave now determines how these institutions will work tomorrow.

Summary Table for Revision

Class Discussion Question

If you were the Chairman of INEC, what is the first thing you would change to make sure no one can cheat during an election?