Socio-Cultural and Demographic Factors Affecting Free and Fair Elections in Nigeria

Abstract

One of the challenges facing political gladiators and other stakeholders in Nigeria's political space is the management of 2019 post-elections crisis and the adoption of appropriate strategy to put up with the next one in 2023. Always, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora clamour for free, fair and credible, and transparent elections. This is because if Nigeria gets it right in her general elections, it will deepen her democracy and embolden collective faith in one Nigeria. The study thus, investigated the socio-cultural and demographic factors that affect free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. It was guided by the theoretical ideas of differential association and structural functionalism. The data used in the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. In-depth interviews, key informants investigation, and focus group discussion were used for primary data collection. Extant literature from books, secondary elaboration technique and other secondary sources provided the secondary data. Findings showed a burly effect of a wide range of socio-cultural and demographic factors on a free, fair and credible, and transparent elections in Nigeria. It also found that consistent insecurity, looming threat of violence in elections, diffificulties in the distribution of permanent voters card, voter education and illiteracy that characterize electioneering processes in Nigeria are always driven by social (how the electorate organize themselves for the candidates and elections), cultural (community beliefs and values for elections) and demographic (age sex and affifiliation) factors. The paper recommends among other things, an electoral bill that will accommodate ethical considerations in electoral matters.