Using empirical field accounts of the 2015 general elections in the Ibadan
South-East local government area, this article investigates the problems
and prospects of election administration in Nigeria. It argues that while the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s electoral
management body, made elaborate preparations for the conduct of the general
elections across the country, the conduct of the elections in Ibadan SouthEast local government area was characterised by logistics, manpower and
security challenges. The combination of the character of the electorates and
that of the electoral officials, as well as the attitude of the dominant political
parties at grassroots level, shaped the outcomes of these elections.