AN ASSESSMENT OF ELECTION VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT: In every stable democratic society, election remains the essential ingredient of transitory process from one civilian administration to another. Elections have become an integral part of representative democracy that by and large prevails across the world.The historical trajectory of electoral process in the post colonial Nigeria is characterised by violence.Thus recent manifestations of electoral violence, most importantly since the birth of the Second to Fourth Republic(1983-2011) have assumed an unprecedented magnitude and changing form, resulting in instability in democratic consolidation as well as the loss and displacement of many innocent lives.

The study  examined election violence from the period of 1983-2011. It made use of secondary data such as textbooks, journals and relevant  literature from internet.findings from the study revealed that electoral violence have been rampant in Nigeria since 1983-2011.Other irregularities recorded included under age voting especially in the northern states of Nigeria, kidnapping before elections, shooting at gun points at distribution and collation centres to snatch electoral materials particularly result sheets as recorded in most states and the announcement of suspicious figures as authentic results have been the ordeal of the day. The study recommends that the survival of democracy as well as its consolidation involves adherence to the ideals and principles of electoral process as practised in ideal democratic societies.