CHAPTER ONE                 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY

Almost every election held in Nigeria since inception has been marred by electoral crises and destructive disputes at various times. Almost every election held in the country has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people as a result of electoral violence.

Religious, cultural, and tribal emotions have been blamed for causing crises, either actively or passively. Politicians are constantly accused of reaping negative benefits from these dynamics in order to push their own political agendas (Bekoe, 2011; Odigbo et al., 2014). For instance, Citizens for Nigeria (2020) Some ruling elite in Nigeria have been accused of manipulating the Boko Haram situation for cheap political advantage at various times.

 Again, Allafrica.com (2010) The Jos crisis of 2013 occurred during a political tour in Jos by a major Nigerian lawmaker, who allegedly exhorted Muslims not to vote for Christians.

 Thus, the Cleen Organization (2010) says that politicians' ethnic recruitment of supporters during official campaigns in Nigeria is a crucial role in inflaming public attitudes for violence and crisis during the country's election campaigning. Dozens of people have died in practically all of the nation's politics.. During the politically driven Jos crisis of 2010, for example, nearly 600 innocent individuals, mostly helpless women and children, died. Campaigning violence was again released on the public during the 2011 national elections, which were regarded one of the freest/fairest but still most violent in the nation, with over 850 people killed in Kaduna State alone(Bekoe, 2011; Crisis Group, 2014) Since certain Nigerian leaders' unscrupulous political advertising and win-at-all-costs mentality Through explosions and reports of explosions here and there in the 2007 and 2011 elections, terrorism was introduced to the litany of electoral violence in Nigerian electoral history (Amadi, 2011; Njoku, 2011; Osai, 2010). According to Diamond (2016), Some Nigerian politicians use ethnic feelings, claims, and claims to take advantage of the general public's naivety and set them against each other in order to obtain selfish election triumphs. Hence, Okadigbo (2014) he decried the country's recurrent ethnic disputes pre-, through, and after polls because of a lack of value consensus and cultural uniformity. As a result, the study was motivated by the necessity to assess the impact of moral political marketing messages on Nigerian elections.. Odigbo (2016) contends that de-emphasizing the use of local languages in broadcasting media as a political marketing and public partnerships communication systems tool will provide a better remedy for reducing electoral violence in Nigeria, based on the fact that the Agenda-setting theory does not collaborate well in emerging countries that people of residents live in rural areas without access to English mainstream broadcasting.

The use of marketing and public relations concepts, concepts, tactics, and tactics in the political domain is known as political marketing and public relations (Eze et al., 2016). Again, Osho (2011) For its distinctiveness in the present day, which includes extensive usage among the population, greater appeal, profound influence, and easy absorption by the individuals, local language broadcast media instruments are especially more effective line of communication among the African populace. Furthermore, the broadcast in the native language is more culture-focused and longer-lasting. It is a low-cost medium that employs indigenous technology to disseminate knowledge to the public, making it participatory in nature.

 As a result, people trust communications from it more than communications from conventional media. Following the 2007 general elections in Nigeria, the majority of residents lost faith in electoral democracy as a result of the ongoing huge vote manipulation that foiled citizens' freedom to nominate politicians of their choice to leadership positions in prior elections. The former President YarAdua and Jonathan Goodluck had to preach to Nigerians for a long time before they could persuade them that upcoming votes would be fair and free.

They honored their word, with both local and foreign monitors declaring the 2011 general elections to be mainly free and fair. The fight for power in Nigeria, on the other hand, is growing increasingly bloody by the day. Dozens of more individuals died, churches, mosques, automobiles, houses, and other important property were burned, all in the cause of election.

When a result, even as some politicians transferred their warzones to election appeal tribunals, the political backdrop of the country remained shrouded in gloom for most watchers. The Boko Haram attacks, which many thought had a political connotation, were still another source of concern. Individuals are still being abducted throughout the nation on a regular basis, causing widespread fear and societal insecurity. Unemployment rate remains frighteningly high, and yet vital commodities such as power tariffs, gasoline, and other necessary items are being hiked beyond the grasp of the average person.

Clearly, this is not what the people wanted. So this whole idea could be a disaster waiting to happen, according to pessimists. However, if the current anti-corruption fight is carried honestly and without partisan with-hunting, the government could still do it right, according to ardent optimists. They say that the current administration should be given more time. However, another school of thought contends that Nigerian officials and political parties are to blame for the country's increasing socioeconomic difficulties by ignoring the struggling populace.

This is due to the fact that most of them do not use local language medium to shop for votes/voters during elections in order to obtain enough information and disseminate peace afterward. According to one school of thinking, using more local language in the media as a political marketing communications tool in the Nigerian electoral system will be a cure to the nation's pleasant elections. Therefore the study centers on examine broadcasting in local languages as an instrument in curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Broadcasting in local Language has long been thought to be a powerful tool for promoting development of a nation and an antidote to electoral violence. Broadcasting in local Language, in addition to serving as a means of communication and shared culture among a set of people, it acts as a means for growth. It serves as a medium for spreading knowledge and ideas about development to the general public. However, the language used to transmit a developmental message is a critical component of the message's treatment. (Salawu, 2015:4). Salawu contends that any community's indigenous language is best suited for transmitting any message to that people. However, Nigeria's choice for English as the dominant language of expression above hundreds of existent indigenous Nigerian languages does not reflect well on our nationhood and pride as Nigerians this because most Nigerians leaving in rural areas who do not have access to education cannot effectively understand English.

English-language broadcasting continues to lead the realm of communications at all levels, and can be considered Nigeria's real national language or Lingua Franca. The Nigerian Constitution and the National Languages on Education (NLPE) both acknowledge English as the country's Lingua Franca. Even the media is not immune to this linguistic servitude.

 European and colonial dialects, particularly the use of English, predominate in Nigerian mass media. The media, as true vehicles for supporting development of a nation, disseminate focus on changing while also highlighting and promoting the people's rich cultural heritage and language richness. As a result, indigenous language broadcasting is critical for the spread of information, social mobilization, and cultural promotion and survival. It's also concerning to notice that the majority of Nigerian languages lack distinct value or written forms. This makes it difficult to learn or use them in formal setting especially in the broadcasting of massages in other to curb electoral violence. Local languages like these have little chance of competing with other well-developed dialects of becoming broadcasting languages in the mainstream media. As a result, this we contend that continued development and/or mass media messages aimed at the general public on electoral information can only be transmitted to them in their mother tongues or indigenous languages for easy understanding especially for those in rural areas. Therefore the study centers on examine broadcasting in local languages as an instrument in curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major purpose of this study is to examine broadcasting in local languages as an instrument in curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria. Other general objectives of the study are:

1) To examine language policy in broadcast media in Nigeria

2) To examine the history of broadcasting in Nigeria

3 To examine impact of broadcasting in local language on curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

4) To outline causes of electoral violence in Nigeria

5) To suggest ways of curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions shall guide this study and in the course of this research, we shall attempt to find answers to the following questions:

1) What is language policy in broadcast media in Nigeria?

2) What is the history of broadcasting in Nigeria?

3 what is the impact of broadcasting in local language on curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria?

4) what are the causes of electoral violence in Nigeria?

5) what are  the ways of curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria?

1.5HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

HO: there is no significant impact of broadcasting in local language on curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

H1: there is a significant impact of broadcasting in local language on curtailing electoral violence in Nigeria

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

A study on the use of indigenous languages alongside foreign languages in the broadcast media in a multilingual society will reveal the attitudes of government, state cultural and language policies, media, speakers of the languages within Okene. Furthermore, this will help in further cultural and language assessment, language policymaking relevant to awakening interest in the use of indigenous languages among speakers of the languages, media staff, and the entire society towards ensuring decentralization of information, mass mobilization, cultural and language development.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study would cover Broadcasting in Local Languages as an Instrument in Curtailing Electoral Violence in Nigeria (A Study Of Okene Local Government)

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

ELECTORAL VIOLENCE: Political violence is the deliberate use of power and force to achieve political goals 

LOCAL LANGUAGE: Local language refers to the language spoken in the homes

BROADCASTING: Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum, in a one-to-many model