Religion and Democratic Governance in Nigeria: Issues and Prospects. (2011-2023)

Religion has always been a major determinant of electoral behaviors in most democracies despite attempts and claims by most states at running secular regimes. This paper examines the extent to which religion has influenced election in Nigeria. It equally examines the roles played by the two dominant religions in Nigeria, Islam and Christianity, in shaping the outcome of the 2011-2023 general elections. The data collections, among other comprises of primary and secondary sources. These data were analyzed socially, critically and descriptively. Marxist theory was used to explore how religion impulse can influence Nigeria Elections. In a multi-ethnic and multi-religious people like Nigeria. Election can be a serious practice with many risks. They can also be marked by violence, corruption, intimidation and deceit. The history of Nigerian elections appears to reflect the above characteristics. It has been confirmed that Nigeria is one of the most religious countries in the world. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that Nigerian elections will be greatly influenced by religion. Most importantly, the strong evidence of not only violence, corruption and intimidation, but also the serious aggressive influence of religion—mostly negatively on Nigerian elections is clear and cannot be disputed.

Elections; Democratic consolidation, Ethno-Religion, Fouth Republic

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