Electoral Violence in Nigeria: The Unwritten Pact Between Political Elites and Political Thugs

Electoral violence has been variously described as the bane of democratic consolidation in Nigeria. The zero-sum game with which electoral process in the country is characterized has assumed a very dangerous dimension with all political gladiators preparing for an election just the same way armed forces would have prepared for a war. Politicians engage in recruitment and training of armed political thugs, stock-piling of ammunition, provision of fake security agents’ uniforms, among others. The toll of electoral violence-in terms of number of lives lost, property destroyed and injuries sustained-continues to undermine the survival of the country's democratic experiment. This essay is an attempt to unravel the periodic alliance between the Nigerian politicians and political thugs during electioneering and its concomitant violent outcomes. It discusses the trends, patterns and causes of electoral violence in the country and how the phenomenon can be addressed.