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Local Government Elections and Democratisation in Bayelsa State: A Study of the 2024 Local Election

Frank Prince Diepreye, Love Obiani Arugu PhD

Abstract

This study examines the implications of local government elections for democratization in Nigeria by assessing 2024 local government elections in Bayelsa State. It specifically focuses on ascertaining if the electoral outcomes reflected the preferences of electorates, and if the performance of democratic institutions during the elections showed a commitment to democratization. These two core objectives were crafted following the premise that local government areas, being the closest to the grassroots, should bolster participation and expand democracy. Weber’s theory of Patrimonialism was employed as a theoretical framework to explore the dynamics of political power and governance at the grassroots level. The study adopted a mixed-method approach, combining data from quantitative and qualitative sources,

Keywords

DemocratisationDemocratic InstitutionsElectionsGrassrootsParticipation.

References

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