Benue State University, Makurdi

The Effects of Security Challenges on Electoral Participation in Nigeria: The Fourth Republic in Focus

Godstime Osariyekemwen IGIEBOR

Abstract

The Electoral contest in many developing democracies in Africa including, Nigeria, are faced with the challenges of conducting free, fair, credible and violence-free elections. Election violence has become a recurring phenomenon and a threat to genuine democracy associated with peaceful and credible elections. Against this backdrop, the paper examines the effect of electoral violence on electoral behaviour in Nigeria. The paper adopts the descriptive analytical approach. The data collected were classified, analyzed and organized chronologically in a manner that ensured effective interrogation and presentation of the interests driving the debate on the subject matter to ensure adequate comprehension. The Structural Functionalist and Frustration-Aggression theoretical perspectives were adopted to describe the pattern of political engagement and rationalize incidences of perceived violence in the Nigerian electoral process. The study posits that voter participation in the electoral process is affected by widespread violence and feeling of insecurity resulting in low-level participation. Consequently, some policy advices are made. The governments at all levels should strengthen security mechanism to forestall outbreaks of violence during election periods and ensure prompt prosecution of electoral offenders. Appropriate security network and intelligence should be organized to monitor electoral activities to mitigate incidences of violence. The Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct transparent and credible elections while the political parties and candidates should ensure strict compliance with electoral regulations.

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