THE ROLE OF VIOLENCE IN VOTER'S APATHY IN THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The attractiveness of a democracy is not contingent on the quantity of political parties that are officially recognised in a given nation; rather, it is determined by the level of engagement of the general populace in democratic procedures. In Okoh (2019), John Stuart Mill expressed his opinion that there is no difficulty in showing that the ideal best form of government is that in which the sovereignty or supreme controlling power in the last resort is vested in the entire aggregate of the community; every citizen not only having a voice in the exercise of that ultimate sovereignty but called on to take an actual part in the government. Mill was searching for the best form of government when he made this statement. If citizens were to take an active role in government, this would not necessarily imply that each individual would be given a portfolio in the executive branch and be given the power to rule.

It suggests that every adult citizen has a responsibility to participate in the decision of who will manage the country, either by running for office or by electing competent representatives to positions of power in the governing body. To put it another way, each individual citizen is obligated to participate in the democratic process. According to Robert Dahl (1989:102) as seen in Okoh (2019), effective involvement is a need for flawless democratic administration.

One of the simplest actions that individuals may do to engage in the democratic process is to cast their vote in elections. According to Pence (2018), a political system is considered democratic if its most powerful collective decision-makers are chosen through free, fair, and periodic elections in which candidates are allowed to freely compete for votes and in which virtually all of the adult population is eligible to vote. In other words, a democratic political system has these characteristics.

As a geopolitical entity, Nigeria has throughout its history been distinguished by a string of conflicts and social upheavals that, the majority of the time, pose a risk to the country's ability to continue existing as a corporate organisation. It is a common misconception that Lord Frederick Lugard's decision, in 1914, to combine the Northern and Southern Protectorates into a single entity was either an error or a major blunder, and that this decision should be reconsidered (Imoh 2018). Depending on which side of the ethnic split a person is on, the difficulties that spark the ongoing crises may vary from being very serious to being more on the surface. The reality of the matter is, however, that problems that touch on marginalisation, control and allocation of resources, religious and ethnic feelings, political competition and dominance, misrule or misuse of authority have always had violent repercussions of a significant proportion.

In addition, the recent wave of bombings, kidnappings, massive fraud, and harassment that has taken place in Nigeria, particularly during the 2023 elections, not only tarnishes the reputation of democracy, but it also has a significant negative impact on the interest that voters have in politics (Ikott, 2023). Voting, which is an essential component of democracy, is therefore viewed as the business of party supporters and political thugs who are paid peanuts to turn the entire process of election into a violence-packed political jamboree suitable for only depraved individuals with violent minds. Voting is an essential component of democracy.

The sad political trend that the nation is now experiencing does not stimulate the engagement of the general public in political processes. Many people in Nigeria today see politics as a dirty game, and as a result, they think that actively participating in political activities is equivalent to setting out on a path from which there is no turning back. Since contemporary politicians enter politics not with the intention to serve, but rather with the intention to be served, the fundamental meaning of politics has been misunderstood and distorted as a result of their demonstrations of attitude. They consider politics to be nothing more than a stage for the egotistical pursuit of more riches and more notoriety. In Nigeria, the outcome of elections is not determined by the preferences of the population; rather, it is determined by the amount of political thugs, cultists, and political godfathers and godmothers that are available to public office candidates (Ikott, 2023). This study thus investigates the role of violence in voters apathy in the 2023 general elections.

1. 1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Acts of political violence are carried out on a daily basis all over the globe for a number of reasons, including political fanaticism, ethnic animosity, religious extremism, and ideological motivations. These reasons might vary from country to country. These acts of violence have either an overt or covert political purpose, and as a result, they have been brought to the forefront of the public's political consciousness. Political violence has been around for a very long time; however, what sets the political violence of today apart from that of the past is the disturbing frequency and variety of events, as well as the expanded opportunities that are available to the perpetrators of such violent acts within the political system (Alanamu, 2015). The term "political violence" refers to any and all types of organised assault that take place inside a political system. In fact, according to Anifowose (2015), political violence is the use of threat or physical act carried out by an individual or group of individuals within a political system against another individual or individuals, and/or property, with the intention of causing injury or death to persons and/or damage or destruction to property; and whose objective, choice of targets or victims, surrounding circumstances, implementation, and effects have political significance that tends to influence the political system. Similarly, the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room found that a small proportion of registered voters in Nigeria participated in the February 2023 presidential election (Ikott, 2023).

According to Ikott, (2023), there were incidences of reported violence and voters being harassed as they walked out to execute their civic obligation in polling units across Lagos State. A low voter turnout would not be an accurate representation of the desires of the people as a low voter turnout would lead to voter indifference in later elections. This development portends major danger as this may lead to voter apathy in subsequent elections. A high voter participation will not only make the results of an election more trustworthy, but it will also discourage criminals from hijacking or undermining the democratic process, ensure greater impartiality and fairness, and, as a consequence, reduce the amount of political violence that occurs. In light of this, this study seeks to assess the role of violence in voters apathy in the 2023 general elections.

1. 1. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine the role of violence in voters apathy in the 2023 general elections. Other objectives of this study are:

1. To find out whether there was violence during the 2023 general elections.

2. To determine the extent of violence during the 2023 general elections.

3. To find out whether political violence contributed to voters apathy during the 2023 general elections.

4. To investigate the causes of violence during elections.

5. To proffer solutions to violence during elections.

1. 1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

1. Was there violence during the 2023 general elections?

2. To what extent did violence take place during the 2023 general elections?

3. Did political violence contribute to voters apathy during the 2023 general elections?

4. What are the causes of violence during elections?

5. What are the solutions to violence during elections?

1. 1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Even the deadly Boko Haram insurgency can't compare to the dangers posed by electoral violence and political indifference, which together pose an even bigger risk to national security. While Boko Haram embarks on a hit-and-run strategy and localises its operations within the North Eastern part of the country, electoral violence and systemic corruption have dangerously entangled the very fabric of the Nigerian State. More troubling is the reality that the governing elites, political gladiators, and their accomplices foster and commit electoral violence despite little or no concern from the general people. This violence, which plants the germ of political indifference, makes the situation even worse.

This study is significant in that it aims to expose not only the causes and effects of electoral violence, but also to present a forensic analysis on selected past and current elections in order to produce data that can be used as a reference not only in the academic community, but also by election administrators in Nigeria.

1. 1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Broadly, this study focuses on the role of violence in voters apathy in the 2023 general elections. Specifically, this study focuses on finding out whether there was violence during the 2023 general elections, determining the extent of violence during the 2023 general elections, finding out whether political violence contributed to voters apathy during the 2023 general elections and investigate the causes of violence during elections, investigating the causes of violence during elections and proffering solutions to violence during elections.

This study will be carried out in Ikeja metropolis of Lagos state.

1. 1. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. However, the researcher were able to manage these just to ensure the success of this study.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1. 1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Election: Is a process of selecting one person or more for an office, public or private, from a wider field of candidates.

Violence: Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy.

Political Apathy: Political apathy is defined as the lack of interest in taking active part in matters of politics either by voting or being voted for or having no share in political activities. Political apathy is expressed and measured by the degree of political phobia and non-participation in political activities in a country.