Democratization and Electoral Violence in Nigeria: A case of Sokoto State

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue IV, April 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Democratization and Electoral Violence in Nigeria: A case of Sokoto State

Isah Musa Yusuf

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, UsmanuDanfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria

I. INTRODUCTION

Since the onset of the wave of democratization in parts of the world, sequel to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the wind of political changes that swept through Eastern Europe, many countries have made attempts, even if feeble in some cases, to come to terms with the necessity of enthroning a project of democratization (Umar, 2009). In this respect, Nigeria has not been left out of the bandwagon of democratization. Evidently though, at independence in 1960, the country experimented with parliamentary democracy fashioned after the British model which was later bedeviled by electoral crises. Beginning from 1964/65 general elections, violence became a major feature of electoral politics in the country. Thus, it was after thirteen (13) years of military rule (1966-1979) that the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (FMGN) handed over to a new civilian government on October I, 1979 and Nigeria’s Second Republic was born amidst great expectations (Kurfi, 2005 cited in Omotosho, 2008:1).
The 1983 elections were held but, unfortunately, the transition to civilian rule did not result in democratically accountable government for Nigerians, thereby resulting in the collapse of the Second Republican government in December 1983 through a coup d’état. However, the outcome of the elections conducted in 1999, 2003 and 2007 wasso fiercely contested, involving the loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties, that the survival of the democratic orders and values were compromised in many ways (International Crisis Group, 2007).
Consequently, the political contestation in Nigeria since the inception of civilian administration in 1999 has continued to be characterized by high degree of electoral violence. This trend of electoral violence has led to a situation whereby the citizens (Nigerians) view elections and democratic process with apprehension and anxiety, with popular confidence gradually being eroded in the electoral process. This is coupled with the potential capacity of electoral violence to impinge on the electoral process, undermine legitimacy and threaten democratic stability in Nigeria. Perhaps, this made Umar (2009) to argue that the country (Nigeria) had progressively lost all the known vestiges of democracy including the cherished democratic values of accountability, rule of law and the flourishing of fundamental civil and political liberties.

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