ELECTION VIOLENCE AND DEMOCRATIC STABILITY IN NIGERIA: THE AKWA IBOM STATE EXPERIENCE (1999-2011)
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background of the Study
Election is generally conceived as a means of a peaceful change of leadership in societies. Post and Vicars (1973: 19), define election as the “process of actualizing representative democracy, which exposes people to the experiences of competition of powere through balloting”. These cardinal features of elections have eluded the Nigerian polity as elections have been shrouded in repeated outbreaks of violence, which occurs as a result of electoral frauds that mar the legitimacy of elections and erode the stability of the political system.
Election violence could be defined as any act of violence perpetrated in the course of political activities including pre, during and post election periods; and may include any of the following acts: thuggery, use of force to disrupt political meetings and voting at polling stations, or the use of dangerous weapons to intimidate voters and other electoral actors, or to cause bodily harm or injury to any person or persons connected with the electoral process.
Nigeria’s political history reveals a longstanding trend of electoral fraud which has escalated so much so that violence is employed to ensure the smooth progress and process of rigging. Since the first election in 1922, there has been an uninterrupted case of rigging with subsequent ones being more organized that the previous ones. Between independence in 1960 and 1991, Nigeria produced only two elected governments both later overthrown in military coups (Anekwe, 2010:79). After nearly 30 years, in 1999, Nigeria made a transition to civilian rule. The 1999 elections were however blighted by wide-spread fraud and a few cases of violence; the federal and state elections in 2003 were again marred by fraud as well as serious incidents of violence that left at least a hundred people dead and many others injured. Despite the attendant rigging and manifestation of violence in the 1999 and 2003 elections, there was barely any improvement in the next elections. Observers from the European Union described the 2007 elections as the worst they had witnessed anywhere in the world. (EU Report, 2000: 14).
Despite repeated outbreaks of election violence, Federal and State Governments since 1999 have done little to address the root causes of the violence. Various Committees and Commissions of inquiry have been set up over the years to investigate cases of election violence but there is an obviours absence of an institutional and legal solution, this absence of an effective redress mechanism has only produced more violence.
1.1 Statement of Problem:
Mu’azu (2000:452) opined that in every democratic dispensation elections have come to be known and accepted as the bedrock of a stable polity as it represents an organized and peaceful transition from one rule to another. However, the basic character of elections has been defeated as conflict ridden situations have historically featured in all elections conducted in Nigeria since 1953. Consequently, issues surrounding the electioneering process potentially relate to violence and violations of the rights of the individual.
Thus, rather than serve as a means and process of exercising legitimate political rites, elections in Nigeria have turned out to be a serious political liability, causing insecurities and threatening the foundations of the country’s nascent democracy.
With unprecedented political thuggery and uncontrolled violence, characterized by wanton destruction of lives and properties, election period in Nigeria is best described as warfare (Claude, 1985:62). This problem has received considerable attention over the years because of its intensity but the policies adopted to curb this trend have not succeeded. Despite the fact that in the First Republic efforts were made against thuggery and other manifestations of violence during elections; and in the 2nd and 3rd Republics security forces were massively mobilized to maintain order before, and during elections; issues of election rigging and violence have been on the rise. This study seeks to identify this problem.
1.2 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this research is to study election violence and Democratic Stability in Nigeria from 1999-2011 with a special focus on Akwa-Ibom State. The specific objectives are to:
- Examine the history, causes and effects of election violence in Nigeria.
- Investigate the nature, causes and effects of election violence in Akwa Ibom State from 1999-2011.
- Study the effects of election violence on democratic stability in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria from 1999-2011.
- Highlight the role of various institutions in election violence in Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 significance of the Study
The significance of this study lies in the difference it will make in the entrenchment of democratic principles in the Nigerian Political System. Its premise is that the ability to conduct a peaceful, free and fair election would foster an atmosphere for sustainable democracy and social security in Akwa Ibom State and the rest of Nigeria.
This work is a crucial x-ray of the electoral processes and factors that trigger election violence in Nigeria with a view to exposing loopholes and making viable proposals, particularly in the light of the reduction of the allure of office and the establishment of an electoral violence tribunal.
This research is invaluable to conflict resolution and violence prevention efforts locally and otherwise.
Finally, it contributes to the advancement of knowledge as it relates to this field of study. It is hope that it will encourage further researches in this area.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
- What were the causes and effects of election violence in Nigeria?
- What were the causes and nature of violence in Akwa Ibom State during the period of study?
- What were the effects of election violence in Akwa Ibom State in the period of study?
- What was the role of different institutions in election violence in Akwa Ibom State?
1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study examined election violence in Nigeria with Akwa-Ibom State as its case study. While references were made to different epochs and scenarios around the country, particular attention was given to the period 1999-2011.
Although the area of study is all of Akwa-Ibom State, interviews were restricted to Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, and Eket because of their proximity or direct involvement with election violence. There was difficulty in getting the staff of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) such as Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), and the Police to grant interviews. Thus, oral sources used came from eye witness accounts of victims of election violence.
1.6 Methodology
Methodology in history comprises the techniques and guidelines by which historians use to research and write history.
According to Lemon (1995:85), historical evidence could be gathered through a variety of ways ranging from “what is written, what is said, and what is physically preserved”. This study however, involve the use of written and oral sources as well as the inter-disciplinary approach which will be subsequently broken down.
Oral Sources
Adams (2000:17) suggests that one of the major achievements associated with the rise of African historiography is the recognition of oral tradition as a viable source of historical data. As a source of history, oral tradition amounts to the same kind of value as other sources since it undergoes the same kind of analysis and synthesis the historian employs in the course of his research.
Oral sources were indispensable to this study bearing in mind that because of very little occurrence of spectacular election violence in Akwa Ibom State prior to 2011, there is a dearth of written materials on this subject.
Through note taking and the use of tape recorders, oral evidence was collected from people of varying occupations who have been directly affected by election violence in the State. These were carefully selected and interviewed as individuals. Among them were observers, participants and otherwise.
Newspapers:
These sources include detailed reports by various local news papers, the weekend Pioneer; Daily Independent, as well as national newspapers relevant to the area and period of study deposited at the Pioneer Office, Uyo, Government House Press, Uyo; Nyong Essien Library Uyo, University of Uyo Library; and National Library, Calabar. It is important to state that some of the newspapers are pro-government while others are anti-government, thus, they were used with great caution because of their probable bias.
Written Source
The bulk of materials (published and unpublished) used in this study are secondary sources, (especially internet materials) which shed some light on the area and period of study. They include textbooks, journals and seminars obtained from the Heritage Library, Oron, University of Uyo Library, Nyong Essien Library Uyo, National Library Calabar and from relevant websites, blogs, online journals and news.
Inter-Disciplinary Approach
History demands a systematic and inter-disciplinary investigation. A study such as this demands that documentary evidence, theories, concepts and methods from a broad spectrum of the social sciences be integrated to achieve a holistic analysis.
To achieve the aim of the study therefore, certain approaches and theories from the social sciences were adopted for the purpose of explaining the causes of election violence from a theoretical standpoint. Thus, a wide range of theories were examined in the course of this study.
1.7 Theoretical Framework
Since history hinges on the relationship between cause and effect, it was necessary to borrow a few theories from the social sciences which ai
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