Adebiyi, Oluwashina Moruf2025-05-072025-05-072017-1216. Adebiyi, O.M. (2017). Electoral violence: A theoretical exploration. Federal University Lafia Journal of Contemporary Political Studies, 1(2): 189-200. Published by the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University Lafia, Nassarawa State, Nigeria.https://uilspace.unilorin.edu.ng/handle/123456789/16368Electoral violence has a remained a canker worm in the annals of democratic governments particularly in new democracies of Africa. Occurrences of electoral violence in Africa are usually accompanied by huge human and material loss. While studies have shown that violence in Africa's elections minimally affects about 25% of elections in Africa, the increasing number of deaths and the wanton destruction of properties associated with uncontrolled and incessant electoral violence generate widespread anxiety and concern about how to put an end to this menace. This paper attempts an exploration of theoretical expositions on electoral violence. Deriving data largely from secondary sources and analysing same through the historical qualitative method, it is deduced that the nature of politics, the character of electoral processes and the nature of electoral institutions are broadly responsible for the prevalence of electoral violence in Africa. Electoral violence however, has devastating effects on the democratization process in particular and the society in general. It is therefore, suggested that conducting elections under free and fair conditions among others will impact positively on the effort to control electoral violenceenDemocracyElectionsElectoral ViolenceNeo-patrimonialismPatron-Client RelationshipArticle