VOTERS AND VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA: THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS

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VOTERS AND VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA: THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Democracy which has multiple of variant of definitions and meanings is believed to have a worldwide acceptance as the best form of government. And if one may argue, the concept has been either imposed or largely accepted as the best form of governance. However, this system of government is characterized by certain shortcomings which are either external or internal i.e. domestic’s causes and or foreign influences. In the case of Nigeria, the concept of democracy has become difficult to define and this is because, the very factor which qualifies a democracy (free and fair election) has been difficult to achieved in Nigeria.

Election is vital to existence of democracy since it actualize peoples wishes through which they surrender their authority to the elected few who are given mandate through election.

Since independence, the country’s democratization process had witnessed massive electoral violence which has comprised the very ethics of liberal democracy in spite of several electoral reforms that have no positive effect. And this predicament to democratization process in Nigeria has rather been on the increase and there is no evidence of any serious and sincere effort made to stop it from reaching an unwanted level. Virtually, these have been breeding all sorts of violent scenarios to the possible feature of a total anarchy, a situation which some consider Nigeria moving to a failed state.

Thus, people are made to have direct experience with pluralism and meaningful contest of power through balloting, which is in harmony democratic principles, a universal sought value and phenomenon, that is believed to have originated from Greek empire (Greece) in 5BC when every adult citizen participated in the decision making of the nation state or city state, and representative government in Europe and North America in the 17th century.

Democracy is popularly defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people, as popularized by the then president of united state of America, Abraham Lincoln, as such election or electoral participation forms one of the core values of democracy. Okoli (1990: 62).

The acquisition of the mandate to govern bestows on the elected rights, privileges, power and authority to distribute duties, obligations and privileges. It is therefore, the quest for this mandate that has often resulted to electoral violence. The major outcome of electoral violence is the exposure to the general insecurity of lives and properties of the electoral instability and thereby questioning the legitimacy of the powers that (the government) of the state in which the violence occurs, resulting to political instability of the government to maintain law, order and the basic forms of the domestic regime. Anifowose (1982:4).

Electoral violence is therefore defined as, “Any form of physical force applied at disorganizing (the) electoral process, destruction of electoral materials and intimidating of (the) of the electorate to vote against their wish”. Nweke (2005:387).

Breaking down this violence into its forms, it is further seen as including all sort of riots, demonstration, party clashes, political associations, looting, arson, thuggery, kidnapping, spontaneous, or not, which occurs before, during and after elections. In essence, for democracy to succeed, a free, fair and credible elections are rightly considered as significant hallmark of a democratic system (Thorpe, 2007), and not coincidentally election violence which has triggered the demise of Nigeria’s earlier attempts at democracy since independence (Jega, 2007:56-71).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Nigeria’s political history has often been associated with violence and that of Kaduna North Local Government is not an exception. A common trend is the violence that replete with elections, each time elections are held, there have been often allegations of malpractices, which have often lead to rioting, loss of lives and destructions of inconclusive, contested electoral out comes and crises of legitimacy in ruling party.

The research work intends to analyse the nature, causes and effects in order to proffer solutions to the persistent electoral violence.

This research work seeks to answer the following questions:

What are the remote causes of electoral violence in Kaduna North local government and Nigeria in general?

What are the effects of political violence in the electoral in Kaduna North Local Government?

Why have these problems of electoral violence persisted in Kaduna north and Nigeria as a whole?

iv. What are the strategies that would be adopted in order to minimize or even eliminate electoral violence?

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this research are to examine the nature, causes, extent and impacts of electoral violence on security and electorate, in order to proffer solutions that will enhance political stability and democratisation process in the country by reducing loss of lives and destruction of properties.

i. To examine the immediate and remote causes of electoral violence in Kaduna north local government and Nigeria in general.

ii. To examine why electoral violence has persisted and continued to exist in Kaduna north local government.

iii. To examine the impact of these electoral violence on the electorate.

iv. To examine why electoral violence has persisted and continued to exist in Kaduna north local government.

v. To proffer solutions for minimizing and eliminating electoral violence in order to enhance democratization process in Kaduna north local government.

1.4 ASSUMPTIONS

The study is based on a number of assumptions thus:

That electoral violence in Kaduna north local government area is mainly caused by electoral malpractices.

The persistence of electoral violence is due to lack of adequate measures that will punish the perpetrators of electoral malpractices.

The impact of electoral violence is mainly felt by the electorate.

That election if properly conducted and well monitor will be free from electoral violence in the country.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focus on the 2011 election which resulted in riots, loss of lives, destruction of properties, breakdown of law and order, and the inability of the Nigerian government to perform its normal functions. In doing this, the researcher as a result of time and financial constraints, limited himself to Kaduna north local government, Kaduna state – one of the Nigerian local government that comprises of different tribes and belief as his case study.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on electoral violence and its impending impacts on the electorate, its effect on the stability of the democratization process in Nigeria.

It will be of useful importance to the officials of independence National electoral commission (INEC) because it will unveil the areas of conflicts. In the post elections, the causes of electoral violence, the reasons for the persistence of electoral violence, and solutions would be proffered to ensure free and fair election in Kaduna north and Nigeria at large.

It will also be immense benefit to multinational organizations such as African union (AU), economic community of West African state (ECOWAS) and the united nations organization (UNO) that would find it useful in reducing similar problem in member states.

1.7 METHODOLOGY

The study generated both primary and secondary data that enabled the researcher to analyze the complex relationship between election and violence. The secondary data was distilled from newspapers, magazines, journals, articles, internet and record of electronic media etc

The primary data was generated through the administration of a questionnaire to the electorate, active politicians, and security personnel and the electoral officials, with the last four (4) questions an open ended questions given an opportunity to the respondent for expressing their opinions.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF CHAPTERS

The work is organized in five (5) chapters, chapter one (1) introduces the subject matter under discussion. Chapter two (2) reviewed some literatures about elections and violence in Nigeria and theoretical framework apply for the study. Chapter three (3) looks at an overview of Kaduna north local government area of Kaduna state. Chapter four (4) is content analysis of the primary data use. Chapter five (5) contains the Summary of the work, Conclusion, Recommendations and References.

1.9 DEFINATION OF KEY CONCEPTS

1.9.1 Electoral Violence:

Ogundiya define electoral violence thus; “Electoral violence includes all sorts of riots, demonstrations, party clashes, political assassinations, looting arson, thuggery, kidnapping, etc. spontaneous or not, which occur before, during and after election. It could be regarded as elections motivated crisis employ to alter, change or influence by force or coercion, the electoral behaviours of voters or voting patterns or possibly reverse electoral decision in favour of a particular individual, groups or political party” – (cited in Jega 2007:248). Thus electoral violence is a product of electoral malpractices or rigging. In general terms, all forms of violence that emanates at any stage, from difference in views, opinions and practices during the process of elections, could be regarded as electoral violence.

1.9.2 Election:

An election may be defined as the manner of choice agreed upon by a group of people which enables them to select one or a few people out of authority positions. This manner of choice usually involves rules and regulations designed to ensure a certain degree of fairness and justice to all concerned. It is the most modern public offices, and is deemed to be a very crucial aspect of the democratic process; irrespective of the type of democracy that is practiced (Nnoli, 1986:144).

1.9.3 Violence:

The word “violence” defies any precise, commonly, accepted definition. The concept often serves as a catch all for every variety of protest, militancy, coercion, destruction, or muscle flexing which a given observer happens to fear or condemn (Anifowose, 2006:3).

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