Electoral violence and its implications on voters participation in the 2019 elections in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Electoral security, peace, law and order are critical factors that facilitate effective voters’ participation in elections in particular and meaningful engagement in democratic processes in general. Unfortunately, electoral processes in Nigeria are characterised by high level of violence, most times culminating in the loss of lives and destruction of property. In light of the foregoing, this paper interrogated the rising phenomenon of elections related violence and its implications on voters’ participation in the 2019 elections in Ogun state, Nigeria. Our interrogation of the nation’s politic clearly revealed that the rising level of violence before, during and after elections was largely due to theprebendal nature of the nation’s politics. Predictably, the violence and high level of insecurity that characterised the 2019 political campaigns and elections in Ogun State, Nigeria negatively affected the level of voters’ participation in the political process. This paper concluded that the essence of democratic governance is realisable largely within the context of popular political participation and thus recommended the need to rejig the nation’s electoral system and politics towards promoting electoral security and good governance.