Deconstructing “Federal Might” as an Electoral Phenomenon in Nigeria

Abstract

This chapter attempts a deconstruction of the term ‘federal might,' as one to the dominant elections-related pejorative phrases that dominate framings for the manipulation of electoral processes by holders of federal executive powers in Nigeria. From a phenomenological approach, the chapter draws from the positions of primary participants in the 2018 gubernatorial elections in Ekiti gubernatorial election in Ekiti State to explain the meaning to explain the meaning and patterns of manifestation of ‘federal might' in elections. Findings reveal that opposition parties acknowledge "federal might" to be the legal and arrogated powers of the incumbents which may manifest both in benign (significant security presence) and baneful (using security and other state's institutions) forms to influence the electoral outcome against opposition parties in an election. ‘Federal might,' consequently, describes one of the ills bedeviling elections in Nigeria's nascent democracy.