Electoral Violence: The Bane of Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria.

Abstract

Nigeria's experience with elections and democratic governance dates back to the colonial period. However, the democratic history of the country, since independence, has been riddled with an abysmal record of flawed elections, which have, in most cases, resulted in electoral violence. This, on some occasions, had foisted on Nigeria a military interregnum, which often acted as a stopgap to continuous democratic governance in the country, resulting in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Republic experiences. Although the ongoing Fourth Republic has spanned a period of two decades of uninterrupted democratic experience, democracy in the country is still far from being consolidated. Every election conducted has been a subject of contention between opposing political parties, with many of them leading to electoral violence. This is one of the significant challenges hindering democratic consolidation in the country. The objective of this research was to explore the reasons why electoral violence persists in Nigeria and how it could be minimised. The research found that the enormous wealth bestowed by political position on state officials creates room for crude politics of desperation, prompting political gladiators to engage in an unbridled quest for power, including the unleashing of violence on political opponents, to win elections. The study made some recommendations that could help the country escape the political quagmire. Qualitative research methodology was used in the gathering and presentation of data. Keywords: Democratic Consolidation, Democracy, Elections, Electoral Malpractice, Electoral Violence, Conflict.