Rethinking Electoral Violence and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria

Electoral violence in Nigeria has continued to defy every policy put in place to check it. A comparison of elections from the First Republic to the present Fourth Republic reveals that the focus of policy strategies are on the conduct and administration of elections without an attempt to change the objective of seeking political offices through elections. This objective, which is using political office to accumulate private wealth, is the reason politicians employ ruthless means to win elections. While immediate and short-term policies should continue to focus on eliminating rigging and thuggery during elections, medium and long-term policies should seek to reduce the material attractiveness of political offices, political corruption, and the capacity of politicians to accumulate private wealth from state offices.