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Political and Electoral Violence in Nigeria:A Case of 2015 General Election in Kogi and Bayelsa State of Nigeria


Affiliations
1 Department of Public Administration, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
 

Objective: This paper is focused towards establishing the causes of electoral violence in Nigeria’s democracy, with BAYELSA and KOGI State 2015 general elections as study areas.

Methods: The study adopted content analytical method and survey research design and is anchored on Frustration Aggression Theory.

Findings: The study pin pointed frustration, aggression, greed, poverty (hunger) and selfishness among the people (electorates) and contestants as some of the factors that gave rise to electoral violence in Nigeria’s political activities. Recommendations were made that; elected representatives should live up to their campaign promises to avert the frustration and aggressions noticed among the electorates, that the electoral institutions (INEC) should devise a means of enthroning or conducting elections that would be devoid of fraudulent practices (rigging, intimidation of electorates and false declaration of results).

Applications: Polity threatened with political and electoral violence is usually accompanied with tension and anxiety, hence political apathy among the electorates. Therefore, the elimination of these threats (tension, anxiety and party apathy) should be one of the focuses of the electoral body (INEC) if true democracy where the electorate’s votes should count is to be sustained.


Keywords

Election, Electoral Violence, Democracy, Electoral Commission, Nigerian States.
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  • Political and Electoral Violence in Nigeria:A Case of 2015 General Election in Kogi and Bayelsa State of Nigeria

Abstract Views: 219  |  PDF Views: 151

Authors

O. Abah Emma
Department of Public Administration, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
S. Ibeogu Aloysius
Department of Public Administration, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria

Abstract


Objective: This paper is focused towards establishing the causes of electoral violence in Nigeria’s democracy, with BAYELSA and KOGI State 2015 general elections as study areas.

Methods: The study adopted content analytical method and survey research design and is anchored on Frustration Aggression Theory.

Findings: The study pin pointed frustration, aggression, greed, poverty (hunger) and selfishness among the people (electorates) and contestants as some of the factors that gave rise to electoral violence in Nigeria’s political activities. Recommendations were made that; elected representatives should live up to their campaign promises to avert the frustration and aggressions noticed among the electorates, that the electoral institutions (INEC) should devise a means of enthroning or conducting elections that would be devoid of fraudulent practices (rigging, intimidation of electorates and false declaration of results).

Applications: Polity threatened with political and electoral violence is usually accompanied with tension and anxiety, hence political apathy among the electorates. Therefore, the elimination of these threats (tension, anxiety and party apathy) should be one of the focuses of the electoral body (INEC) if true democracy where the electorate’s votes should count is to be sustained.


Keywords


Election, Electoral Violence, Democracy, Electoral Commission, Nigerian States.

References