Political Participation, Voting Behaviour and 2015 Presidential Election in Nigeria
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Date
2015-11
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College of Social and Management Sciences
Abstract
Voting is the cheapest form. of political participation. People participate in political activities in various ways and for different reasons. This explains why there are often diversities in the voting behavior of electorate of any constituency. Election is one of the forms of political participation. It is also the most popular of all the various forms of political participation. The foregoing shows that there is a synergy between political participation and electoral activities. Voting is one of the forms of electoral activities.• It is through it political analysts can test; voters' tum-out in an election; the voting behavior of a group of electorate; popularity of governments' policies; and the level of political sophistication of electorate, among others. This study is anchored on the synergy between political participation and voting behavior using the Presidential Election of 2015 as its case study. Other objectives include the examination of (i) the imperativeness of political participation in a polity; (ii) issues that may determine the voting behaviour of electorate in any electoral dispensation; and (iii) factors that shaped the voting decisions of electorate in Nigeria during the Presidential Election of 2015. The study adopts historical cum comparative modes of analysis as its research methodology. Some of the findings of the study include: (a) -synergy exists between political participation and electoral activities; and (b) the voting behaviour of Nigerian electorate during the 2015 Presidential Election was largely determined by issues revolving around the primordial cleavages of the Nigerian State rather than factors like party affiliation and social group. Based on its findings, the study recommends that in order to avoid the threat of dis-integrative tendencies in Nigeria's future elections, Nigerian electorate need a prolonged sensitization and re-orientation period prior to the conduct of any election. The appropriate time recommended is immediately a general election has been concluded thus providing a time frame of four years. This panacea is necessary to guarantee a situation where by voting decisions in the country would rise above primordial sentiments.
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Keywords
Political Participation, Voting Behaviour, Presidential Election, Electoral Commission, Political Parties