“This contribution seeks to highlight the fact that properly conducted elections (based on genuine and effective functioning electoral machinery and respect for the will and choices of the people with respect to those who seek to govern them) in any African country would be a major contribution to Africa’s social and material development. With no pretence of exhausting the issues covered, it belabours the various factors bedevilling elections in Africa and the lessons to be learnt from past election crises. It dwells on how such factors could be addressed with a view to bringing about a productive electoral landscape in Africa. The central thesis in this work is that Africa and its people stand to benefit tremendously if African countries turn elections into assets (tools) for development. In so doing, these countries
would also be preventing conflicts and achieving increased national self-confidence and self-empowerment vis-à-vis the global politico-economic and strategic environment.”
