ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA POLITICS

ABSTRACT

The Nigerian second Republic 1979 – 83 political system was base on the struggle for power among parties. This involves conflicts of interest and the actors are always eager to achieve their interest at the expense of others. Therefore, to achieve their respective ultimate aims they reports to bickering and violence.

Electoral violence in Nigerian politics can be regarded as a sort of response to frustrating circumstance. Elections in Nigeria area a contest of guts, blood shared and tears. The Federal Election of 1904 was base on the system of the winner take us all and the loser forfeits all, the nationally divisive and determined effects of a population census and the general institutionalized opposition of the government in power which is the origin of electoral violence in Nigerian politics. The 1979 political system officially adopted the presidential democracy modeled after the America type.

This politics of the second republic became characterized by thuggery, kidnapping, rigging, muddled elections etc. all resulting in an unprecedented violence. The first election of 1979 witnessed more conflicts. The second election, 1983 was almost a breakdown of law and order in most part of the country. And also the weakness of the FEDECO contributed to the failure of the 1983 elections.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Explanatory of violence – Violence is one social phenomenon that does not and never did assure even its perpetrators safety their lives and property. It is an ill wind that blows nobody and good.

Electoral violence in Nigerian politics has become very endemic. It seems that one hardly prepare for politicking in Nigeria, without making very adequate provision for violence. This is because politics involves conflicts of interest and the actors always eager to achieve their interest at the expanse of others. Therefore, is achieve their respective ultimate arms, they reports too bickering and violence.

Nigeria’s adoption of parliamentary democracy at independence was by no means accidental. It was by design. For one thing, Britain Nigerian’s colonial master, had been in the practice of parliamentary democracy at independence was by no means accidental. It was by design. For one thing, Britain, Nigeria’s colonial master had been in the practice of parliamentary democracy for continues and even at independence, parliamentary democracy became one of the British colonial legates. What astonishes one is the inability of Nigerians to have embedded the rules of the game of politics such as tolerance, free and fair elections ability to accept election verdicts, ability to accept election verdicts and the willingness to quite political science if and when the electorate say no.

Since Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960, Electoral violence has been a major feature of Nigeria politics and has been a subject of discussion both at private and public places students of political science and contemporary political scientists aluke have delude into the field of electoral violence of Nigerian politics.

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