Election and Security Challenges Critical Issues in Nigeria’s 2023 General Election

Abstract

It has since been proven that the health of democracies, of whatever type and range, depends on the electoral procedure. This implies, that the spirit of democracy rests on election where leaders emerge through the sovereign power of the people. Since the end of the cold war, democracy has assumed the status of a universal norm as a result of which various governments lay claims to some form of democratic credentials. In spite of its global or universal acceptance, electoral process in the developing world has been marred by myriad security challenges. This has been particularly pronounced in Nigeria. Such challenges range from thuggery and arson, kidnapping and maiming to killing of political opponents. Against the backdrop of the current spiral of insecurity in Nigeria, this paper explores the implication of such security challenges for the conduct of the upcoming 2023 general election in Nigeria. The paper adopted the theory of the post-colonial state as its framework of analysis. Data were generated using documentary method while qualitative-descriptive method was engaged in analyzing the data. In the light of the above, the study found that the deliberate failure of the previous and incumbent administrations to address the recurring internal security challenges in Nigeria poses a real threat to the smooth and orderly conduct of the 2023 general election. The paper, therefore, identified the urgent need for the government to prioritize the tackling of the multifaceted security challenges in Nigeria as part of the preparations for the conduct of the 2023 general election. It argues that without deliberate effort to tackle these security challenges, the 2023 general elections, and by extension Nigeria’s tottering democracy is greatly imperiled.