Abstract:
All over the world, democracy have been embraced, while principles have assumed as the
main pillar in selecting political leaders in a democratic society. In West Africa, undoubtedly, the
most appropriate platform for selecting leaders is through elective principles. This process of
selecting leaders has been in use, in the selected West African Countries: Nigeria, Ghana and
Liberia. Historically, these three West African States have many things in common: located in
the same region: experienced similar colonial political framework: have similar election process
yet they have different ways and modes of selecting leaders.
Subsequently, Nigeria like other West African countries included Ghana and Liberia have
chosen elective principles as a way forward to popular participation and good governance. The
process of which this popular participation and good governance are consolidated is through
election. Election has been seen in a democratic society as a formal decision making venture, of
which the people in a particular geopolitical entity choose individuals, equip with a legitimate
mandate to hold and manage public offices1, such public offices like legislative, executive and
judicial institutions which are often determined by the majority head count.
