An Assessment of Post Election Violence In Nigeria

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Since people started to organize themselves into group they have been struggling for the right mode of government to govern themselves. Some have experimented with different types like Oligarchy, Monarchy, Phitocracy, Autocracy, Theocracy, Kakistocracy and Democracy.

Of all these forms of government, democracy seems to be assuming a greater flair in this era of globalization. But this democracy cannot be except through a selective mechanism popularly called “Election”.

Be that as it is election is a procedure recognized by the rules of an organization, be it a state, a club, a voluntary organization where all or some member choose a smaller number of persons to hold an office of authority within that organization.

Of course, it is not practicable for all the people to govern themselves directly hence, the people is done by the election of persons to govern the people for a limited and specific period of time. This is democracy.

From 1914 to I960, the government of United Kingdom assumed and exercises the governance of Nigeria. But since October 1, I960, Nigeria has held.

Each of these election was remarkable, historic and memorable, the 1964, election was indisputable the worst of them the conduct of the ‘election provoked political violence of an unprecedented magnitude.

The political violence was the spontaneous reaction of the people to the blatant and reckless attempt to impose in western Nigeria a minority party, the NNDP. The general election however was considered free and fair, although, it was never respected due-to its annulment.

The latest general election witnessed in Nigeria was April 2011 election which was held on the 2, 9 & 16 April National Assembly, Governorship and Presidential Election respectively though some of time dates due to some logistic problems were postponed by Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, the election combined with the declaration of the incumbent’ president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of People Democratic Party (PDP) as the president but what followed after has continue to be of greatconcern to stakeholders of the corporate existence of Nigeria.

Although President Goodluck won the election, violence broke out in its aftermath in many parts of the country, especially the North.

The violence started on the 18^th of April barely Forty Eight hours after the Presidential election was conducted and shortly after the result were announced by the INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The violence began with widespread protest, by supports of the main opposition Gen Muhammad Buhari (rtd) from the North following the re-election of the incumbent president from the Niger-Delta in the Southern part of Nigeria.

The protest degenerated into violent riots or sectarian killings in the North states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Yobcand Zamfara. Relief officials estimated that more than 65,000 persons have been displaced.

However, “The April election was heralded as among the fairest in Nigeria history, but they also were among the bloodiest “Said Grinne Dmefa, Senior West Africa Researcher as human right watch. The crisis which started purely on political grounds gradually snowballed into what could be termed as religious, youth corpers in National Assignment as INEC ad hoc staffs were not spared.

The entire situation raised once again wrong impression of Nigerian elections, especially 2011 election and question such as: Has INEC failed to carryout proper electoral process? What are the reasons technical the emergence of violence⁷ Answers to these questions will be given after proper examination of the view point of Nigerians in Kaduna State as a case study.

1.1   HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF KADUNA STATE

The state is the successor to the old North region of Nigeria, which had it’scapital at Kaduna, In 1967 this was split up into six states one of which was the North-Centra! state, whose name was changed to Kaduna state in 1976.

Kaduna state was created in 27^th May, 1967 out of the former Northern region by the then regime of General Murtala Muhammad. Katsina state was created out of it in the state creation exercise of 1987. It’s capital is Kaduna.

Kaduna state occupies  part of the  central   position  of the Northern part of Nigeria (with Kaduna as its capital) and shares common borders with Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Kano,  Bauchi and Plateau states. To the South-west, the state shares a border with the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The global location of the state is between longitude of 30^l) easts of the Greenwich Meridian and also between latitude 0800 and 1130″ North of equator. The state occupies an area of approximately 48,473.2 square kilometers and has a population of more than 6 million (2006 Census).

The entire land structure consists of an undulating Plateau with major rivers in the state including River Kaduna, River wonderful in Kafanchan, River Kagom, River Gurara and River Galina.

The state extends from the tropical grassland known as Guinea savannah to the Sudan savannah in the North. The grassland is a vast’region careering the Southern part of the states to about latitude 1100″ North equator. The prevailing vegetation of tall grass and big trees are of economic importance during both the west and dry season.

Kaduna state is divided into 23 Local Government Areas. There are 57 languages spoken as first language in Kaduna State. Gbagyiand Hausa are major languages; Adara, Ham, Atyap, Bajjau, Ninkyol,Kurania, Koro, Zango, Kataf, Mada, Agworok and Ete but apart from Hausa and Gbagyi most other languages are smali and endangered .minority languages due to influence of Hausa.

Agriculture is the main stay of the economy of Kaduna state with about 80% of the people actively engaged in farming cash and food crops are cultivated and the produce include”

Yam, cotton, groundnut, tobacco, maize, ginger, rice, cassava etc over 180,000 tones, of groundnut is produce annually. The major cash crop is cotton which the state has a comparative advantage in, as it is the leading producer in the country.

Another major occupation of the people is animal rearing and poultry farming the annual reared include cattle, sheep, goat & pigs etc.

Kaduna state is metropolitan as welll as- a cosmopolitan industrialized state with over 80 commercial & manufacturing industries Goods ranging from carpets, textiles, reinforced concrete materials and many others.-major industries in the state are the federal super Phosphate fertilizer company Pic, ideal flour mills Plc.

New Nigeria packaging company Plc, PAN Nigeria limited United wire product limited, Kaduna furniture and carpets company limited, Nocaco cables, Queensway aluminum company among several others.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE  PROBLEM

Election is the fulcrum of democracy. It is a legitimate way by which government can claim in the right to power. An election, is suppose to be free and fair and most importantly violent free.

The trend has a mixed re m mkmaction in Nigeria as a whole and Kaduna State in particular. The heterogeneous nature at the country and the elientele practice at government businesses have made selection a challenging phenomenon to parties involved in adhering to the ideal practice of democracy.

Presidential election of 2011 is not an exception rather happened in different mode for its attracted political violence not during but after election and announcement of the result.

The research work seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the remote causes of electoral violence in Kaduna State and Nigeria in general?

2. What are the effects of political violence in the electoral in Kaduna State?

3. Why have these problems of electoral violence persisted in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole?

4. What are the strategies that would be adapted in order to minimize or even eliminate electoral violence?

1.3 OBJECTIVCES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the research have been set as follows:

1. To know the remote and immediate causes of the post election violence in April 2011 general election in Kaduna state.

2. To investigate the effect of post election violence on the economic development of Kaduna state.

3. To examine whether 2011 general election were free and fair from the perspective views of Kaduna state.

4. To identify ways or strategies, government should adopt to Minimize or even prevent violence in Nigerian election and improve the chances of political socialization in Nigeria.

5. The research also aims to proffer solutions to electoral violence amongst the Kaduna state communities.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE FO THE STUDY

The future of Nigeria hangs in the hand of voters with regard to people there elected into power to handle the Nigerian government affairs. If wrong people continue to be elected to handle government treasury and administrative affairs, then it will also have direct consequent for the backwardness of Nigerian political & economic development. Violence and crisis will continue to emulate to suite there system of divide and rule.

This study is significant especially in revealing the factors that hindered democratization as well as unveiling a better electoral process which will ensure free and fair electoral practice in Kaduna State.

The research will be relevant and justified due to its capacity to update and add to the existing volume of knowledge on the causes, effect and solution of post electoral violence, particularly in Kaduna State. And also this study will be of greatest importance for those in academic field, students as well as the general public who may find this relevant work to their work.

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

This research would be guides by the flowing assumptions

Ho: Bad governance is not responsible for the post election violence in Kaduna State.

Hi:  Bad governance is responsible for the post election violence in Kaduna State.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study will be concern with assessment of factors responsible for April 2011 Post election violence which happened in many Northern States. Therefore the study cover only Kaduna State.

The limitation posed by the short duration of time required to submit the work. Expense incurred in the process of data gathering and package of the work.

The attitude of some of our respondent was also a constraint. Some whom weren’t forth coming in giving out certain information considered to be classified.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Concept clarification is of great importance in the field of this study. This is because many scholars ascribed different meanings and interpretation to different concepts and the last because on these division of explanation, it makes it easier for those researching to understand the quintessence of what they are working on and also it will make it possible for those who will come across this work to have a better understanding.

For this reason, it is deemed necessary to give a clear definition of concepts of political and administration:

1. Democracy; Is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally – either directly or through elected representatives in the proposal/ development and the creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self- determination.
2. Election: Ekeff Ernest (2010) defined election as a modern and universally ‘accepted process through which individual’s areopening and methodically chosen to represent a body or a community in a large entity or government”. He also sees it as “the only mechanism by which a democratic government can be realized and entrenched”. Furthermore, election can also be a formal decision making process by which a population chooses individuals to hold public office.

3. Violence: According to Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary, Violence means a violent behavior that is intended to hurt or kill. It also involves physical or emotional force and energy. However, the standard definition of violence refers to an act of force exerted to impact physical harm or injury on another person.

Johan Galtung points out that apart of deliberate inflicting of harm, creating economic misery, repression and alienation should also count as types of violence (structural violence).

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