CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

Political parties are traditionally the most significant intermediary organizations in democratic societies. Students of political science have commonly associated them with democracy itself. Political parties, as “makers” of democracy, have been so romanticized that scholars claim that neither democracy nor democratic societies are thinkable without them (Omotola, 2009). In other words, the existence of vibrant political parties is very imperative for democratic consolidation in any polity.

It is clearly ironic that political parties largely pursue and profess democracy in the media only to resist it within. Competitive party and electoral politics are expected to deepen democracy. Well functioning political parties are seen as essential for the success of electoral democracy and overall political development of Nigeria (Ibeanu, 2013, Adetula and Adeyi, 2013).

Regrettably, elections in Nigeria since political independence have been characterized by violent actions that often result in socio-economic tensions and unrests. This has indeed remained a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s political life despite efforts at curbing it.

Electoral violence in Nigeria has been sustained and reinforced mostly by religious, ethnic and tribal diversities. For instance, the political violence that greeted the Nigeria’s First and Second Republics which eventually led to military intervention and long spell in the country’s government and politics, had its roots in ethic and tribal considerations (Wakili, 2015).

Following the announcement of the result of the 2011 presidential election which saw to the re-election of the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, candidate for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), violence began with widespread protests by supporters of the main opposition candidate, Rtd General Muhammadu Buhari of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) challenging the results. The protests degenerated into sectarian violence and killings by the Almajiri (Sanghaya school students) in the Northern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara where more than 65,000 people were estimated to be displaced while over 800 people were killed in the electoral violence (Ibeanu, 2013).

The increase in electoral violence at every turn of election in Nigeria has been alarming until 2015 when Nigeria had the most stunning elections. Hitherto, because of electoral apprehension and the tendency towards violence by all means a prior prediction was concluded by some experts in the US that 2015 was likely to signal the dismantling of the Nigerian state into some banana republics (Yoroms, 2015).

Electoral violence in Nigeria is most often carried out by thugs whose members are openly recruited, financed and sometimes armed by political parties, politicians and their representatives (Aniekwe and Kushie, 2011). These gangs, comprised primarily of unemployed young men who are mobilized to attack their sponsors’ rivals, intimidate members of the public, rig elections and protect their patrons from similar attacks (Aniekwe and Kushie, 2011).

Excessive manipulation of the electoral process beginning with voter registration before the conduct of elections to the outcome of election results by political parties has generated tension and the cumulative reaction of the masses into violence in Nigeria. This has made scholars and political analysts and pundits to classify party politics in the country as a dirty game.

Accordingly, Osabiya (2015) asserted that in modern societies, political parties are very essential to political process. They have become veritable instrument or adjunct of democracy in any democratic system. Political parties are not only instrument for capturing political power, but they are also vehicles for the aggregation of interests and ultimate satisfaction of such interests through the control of government. Obviously political parties are crucial to the sustenance of democratic governance. Therefore this research study seeks to critically explore party politics and electoral violence in Nigeria.