2019 Nigerian General Elections Were Extremely Expensive

This article looks at the actual and monetary costs of Nigeria's 2011 general elections. Using data and reports from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as reports on the financial operations of political parties, candidates, and other politicians, it examines the legal framework for funding the elections and makes an effort to project the expenses. Since a large portion of democratic political activity depends on financial resources, it makes sense that money and politics are inextricably linked. This essay investigates the consequences of Nigeria's unchecked political spending. Information used in the paper's conceptual and theoretical portions comes from historical and current records on individuals, the economy, and politics. The authors' observations of events and content analyses of reports derived from primary data gathered during the tracking of political funding in Nigeria's previous general elections, especially those of 2019, complement this. The paper employs a blend of the institutional method and structural theory for its analytical framework. According to this estimate, the cost was around N566.2 billion, or 2% of the GDP. Campaign and party funding is not included in this number. The article finds that the cost of the elections was too great for democracy to survive after examining other, non-monetary expenses, such as the destruction of property and lives in the violence that followed the polls. It makes recommendations in the hopes that future elections will be less expensive would be feasible without funding.