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Prof Folasade Ogunsola. Photo: UNILAG TV
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Folashade Ogunshola, says there are valuable lessons Nigeria can learn from the United States’ electoral system.
She listed the valuable lessons as transparency, accountability and inclusivity in elections.
Ogunshola, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Prof Bolanle Oboh, made this known at a 2024 US election event on Tuesday in Lagos State, with the theme: “Democracy in Action: Understanding the U.S. Electoral Process.”
The event was organised by the US Consulate-General in collaboration with UNILAG.
PUNCH Online reports that the US presidential election will be held on November 5, 2024, between Vice President and Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, and ex-president and Republican, Donald Trump.
Ogunshola said understanding the US electoral process was crucial to fostering democratic engagement and values, including freedom of speech, the rule of law and the protection of individual rights.
“This should serve as a model for us all as we strive to enhance our democratic practices here in Nigeria. By observing how these principles are implemented in the US, we can better understand how to strengthen our electoral processes and foster a culture of active citizenship.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our voices are heard and that we contribute to the democratic processes that shape our future,” she said.
She also encouraged students and faculty members to become actively involved in promoting democratic engagement on campus. This, she said, can be achieved through participating in student governments, engaging in debates and organising forums that encourage discussions on civic responsibilities and democratic processes.
A Professor of Political Economy and International Relations at the institution’s Department of Political Science, Gabriel Babawale, said Nigeria’s political system was patterned after the American presidential democracy.
He described Nigeria as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious nation just like the US which is known as a nation of immigrants.
According to him, America’s commitment to the principle of checks and balances in governance and ensuring that no arm of government intrudes on the functions of the other is unique, as he noted that Nigeria needs to emulate parts of the American electoral system for economic growth and development.
He stressed the need for early voting and voting by Nigerians in the diaspora.
A PUNCH Editorial on September 26, 2024, backed the need for voting by Nigerians in the diaspora, saying, “It’s the fundamental right of the diaspora compatriots to vote like other Nigerians. The group is too large to be kept out of the process that will produce the leader of their country.
“They are too relevant to be ignored. Last year, they contributed $20 billion to the economy through remittances to relatives at home, just short of the $21 billion they wired home in 2022, according to the World Bank. Remittances help to improve foreign exchange liquidity and strengthen the naira.”
A Political and Economic Chief at the US Consulate, Mr Michael Ervin, said elections were about accountable governance.
“The biggest question that observers of the American democratic system, especially of the US presidential elections always ask is about the electoral college.
“The US election is not a popularity contest straight away, the spoils do not go to the winner. It’s possible that a candidate might win the popular vote but not the election. It has happened four times, most recently in 2000 and 2016,” Ervin said, adding that democracy was the best but not always easy or perfect.
NAN
