ABSTRACT:

Nigeria is a secular state with diverse social cultural and ethnic divisions. The political process of the present fourth republic came to a reality on May 29th 1999 after thirty years of military entanglement. Since 1999-2011 the political landscape has fallen below par, from violence to greater violence. The magnitude of electoral violence has risen and the political elites have converted poverty ridden unemployed Nigerian youths into readymade machinery for perpetuating violence. The electoral process has been alternating power between ruling party and opposition parties. The usurpation of power incumbency has relegated good governance to the background in Nigeria, this has deprived the electorates their franchise in the electoral market due to aggressive quest for political power among political actors. The paper examines the concept of electoral process, good governance, the evolution of elections and challenges affecting electoral process and good governance as meted by some political class to jeopardize the political system. The genuine reform of our electoral institution and national re-orientation programme as recommended by Justice Uwais panel was applauded by Nigerians as a panacea to stabilize the dilemma of our electoral process and enhance good governance in Nigeria.