Accountable political leadership: the link between good governance in electioneering and sustainable development in Africa

The concept of inadequate political accountability and transparency, coupled with ineptitude leadership and bad governance remain a major challenge in many nation states in Sub-Saharan Africa as elections have proved to be a great litmus test. Election processes have since been widely condemned as not free and fair; falling below international standards in Afghanistan (2009), Togo (2005), Uganda (2006), Nigeria (2007), Kenya (2007), Zimbabwe (2008), Ethiopia (2005, 2010) and Sudan (2010). All these resulted in election irregularities leading to public protests which in turn degenerated into unprecedented violence the military intervention of which often led to civilian injuries, deaths, massive displacements and destruction of property. The paper explores the dangers of Election Irregularities and malpractices and their subsequent effects on socio-political and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa coinciding with weak institutions in Governance structures including weak election laws that hardly effect punishment on election offenders; corruption in the court corridors; delayed justice in delivering competent judgment on election petitions; the unwillingness to end impunity by state security and judicial political mandarins, and the questionable independence of Electoral bodies to execute their core mandates. Furthermore, Contemporary dictators, not leaving anything to chance, have marshalled parliamentary support and made constitutional amendments to change term limits to limitless terms: Uganda (2005), Senegal (2008) and Niger (2009). The paper concludes by underscoring how the 2007 Kenya’s post-election violence affected economic growth from 7% to 1.6% due to violent conflict following the bungled presidential elections. The paper gives recommendations and the way forward on good governance on Electioneering processes in Africa.