Democratization and post election conflicts in Nigeria since independence: a historical reconsideration
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Date
2012
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Lexington books
Abstract
The subject of elections and electoral practices is important in understanding the history of Nigeria and the democratization process. Election seasons in Nigeria come with both optimism and worries—optimism that a new and dependable government may emerge, and worries about the truculent and aggressive reactions to the electoral process and election results. The democratization processes and elections in post-independence Nigeria have been marred by a recurrence Of electoral violence and fraud. Post-election violence has resulted from the politics Of exclusion, power sharing arrangements, fraud, corruption, and ethno-sectarian conflicts. These processes have been characterized by ballot box snatching and stuffing, rioting, antagonisms, arson, assassination, intimidation, and communal unrest. This unyielding cycle of electoral violence has unceasingly amazed scholars and practitioners. Analysts of the Nigerian political situation have been amazed at the unending cycle Of violence that has characterized elections in the country since the first decade of independence. This chapter attempts a reconstruction of the factors and forces that have contributed to the enduring cycles of political hostilities in a country that was once regarded as the hope of the black race. The natures of such conflicts are also highlighted.