ELECTORAL VIOLENCE AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA; A STUDY OF THE 2019 AND 2023 GENERAL ELECTION

This study examined electoral violence and crisis management in Nigeria with particular reference to the 2019 and 2023 general elections. The research adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive design and relied primarily on survey data obtained through structured questionnaires administered to 200 respondents across four states Rivers, Kano, Lagos, and Kogi which were identified as violence-prone during the elections. Respondents included security personnel, electoral officials, civil society members, and registered voters. Data collected were analyzed using frequency tables and simple percentages to identify trends and interpret findings. The findings revealed that political thuggery, ethnic and religious bias, youth unemployment, weak institutional frameworks, misinformation on social media, and misuse of security forces were the major drivers of electoral violence. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, peace accords, civil society organizations, and the media were found to have played significant roles in crisis management, challenges such as political interference, inadequate training, poor coordination among agencies, delayed responses, and weak prosecution of offenders continued to undermine effective crisis response. The study further established that weak political will and insufficient voter education aggravated the persistence of electoral violence in Nigeria. The study concluded that electoral violence in Nigeria is both systemic and multifactorial, rooted in socio-economic deprivation, institutional weakness, and political manipulation. It emphasized that although crisis management strategies have improved over time, gaps remain in transparency, coordination, and post-crisis rehabilitation. The study recommended that INEC be strengthened through increased funding, autonomy, and training to enhance efficiency and neutrality. Security agencies should be adequately trained and coordinated to ensure professionalism and impartiality. Furthermore, comprehensive voter education and youth empowerment programmes should be intensified to curb political thuggery, while stringent enforcement of electoral laws and timely prosecution of offenders should be prioritized to deter future violence.