ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA A REVISIT OF THE APRIL 14, 2007 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN ABIA STATE

Abstract

Over the years elections in Nigeria have been characterized by violence. What has varied from one election to another and from one area to another has been the degree or intensity of such violence. One of the reasons advanced for the Nigerian civil war of 1967 was the violence that defined the 1964 general elections in Nigeria. Various attempts at democracy through elections have only succeeded as veritable battle grounds for hooliganism, ballot-snatching, kidnapping of political opponents, the assassination of rivals, arson, assault and physical destruction of election materials and even intimidation and outright molestation or killing of election officials. Using the theory of violence as expounded by Hannah Arendt, this study attempts to
evaluate the presence of violence in the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election in Abia State as well as proffer solutions to the problem in Nigeria.