Abstract:
Democracy on this thesis paper is not enough. The observance and maintenance of free, fair & violence-free election is of paramount importance and yet, very crucial to establish and manifest the principle of representative democracy in any country. The power and ability of citizens to vote and be voted for in a country and to be able to have a say in the government through a peaceful demonstration can and will always significantly add weight greatly to the future of political participation in that country. Therefore, understanding why violent election occurs and mapping out a possibility of preventing it should be of great importance for any society. Electoral violence in Nigeria is an unfortunate phenomenon due to its re-occurrences she the country became a federation in 1963. Usually, the violence and killings occur either before election (electoral campaign) or after election. Overtime, the electoral violence grew from a few individuals killing other people to a mass violent protest involving a considerable amount of youths taking to the streets with all kinds weapon which in several instances claimed lives, properties and thus creating a negative effect on the concept of political participation involving protest. This research will focus mainly on the root causes of electoral violence. The studies will analyze the forms of electoral violence in Nigeria and its effects on political participation in the country. By so doing, argues for a relationship between electoral violence and political participation with a focus on analyzing the negative impacts caused. Thus, put forth an answer to the following research question: What are the effects of violence on political participation and how can it be averted or managed?
