Political Conflict and Electoral Violence in Nigeria: Implications on National Security

Abstract

The Electoral contest in many developing democracies in Africa including, Nigeria, are faced with the challenges of conducting free, fair, credible and violence-free elections. Political violence has become a stain on our democracy. The paper therefore assessed the impact of electoral violence on national security in Nigeria. The paper adopted the descriptive analytical approach. The data collected were classified, analyzed and organized chronologically in a manner that ensured effective interrogation and presentation of the interests driving the debate on the subject matter to ensure adequate comprehension. The frustration aggression theory was used to explain the cause of electoral violence in Nigeria. The study found out that Political violence is now a stain in our democracy that is now seen as a political structure and strategy for employment during election and the use of weapons during election have an after effect on the national security. Consequently, some policy recommendations were made. The political umpire has to take conscious and strategic actions against political violence, due to the fact that action and inaction of the government plays a major role in either stopping or continuing the menace. Appropriate security network and intelligence should be organized to monitor electoral activities to mitigate incidences of violence. The Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct transparent and credible elections while the political parties and candidates should ensure strict compliance with electoral regulations