IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND LEADERSHIP RESEARCH (JPSLR )

E-ISSN 2504-883X
P-ISSN 2695 2432
VOL. 11 NO. 1 2025
DOI: 10.56201/jpslr.v11.no1.2025.pg13.28

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Vote Buying and Electoral practice in Nigeria: The Experience from 2023 General Elections

AJAYI, Oluwaseun Clement

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Abstract

Vote buying has been a worrisome dimension in the Nigeria’s electoral practice going by previous experiences in recent time. The paper critically examines factors and causes responsible for vote buying in an election and the consequences on the electoral integrity in a democratic practice. Specifically, the extent to which each of these factors is responsible for electoral corruption in the Nigeria’s 2023 general elections occupied the central role of this paper. Vote buying has become a serious phenomenon in a recent time which has undermined the credibility and integrity of electoral processes in Nigeria. This paper relied on secondary source of data collection such as journal articles, textbooks, newspaper and online publications, the theoretical framework adopted in this paper is the clientalism theory because it explains the linkage between Nigeria’s electoral process and vote-buying. Findings reveal, that bad leadership, failure in governance, weak electoral institutions and laws, failure to keep to electoral promises and poverty are the major factors responsible for voting buying in Nigerian electoral processes. The study reveals that, lack of truth in the electoral processes, distortion of democratic representation, undermining electoral accountability are the major consequences of vote buying in the outcome of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. The research emphasizes the need for comprehensive electoral reforms in order to ensure credible, free and fair election and also address the menace of vote buying in order to ensure the integrity of democratic practice in Nigeria. Finally, the paper suggests improving civic and political education of the electorate and voter awareness, addressing poverty and economic inequality, fight against corruption and strengthen the electoral institutions and laws, implementing robust regulated campaign finance and enhancing electoral accountability and transparency will curtain vote buyi

keywords:

Vote-buying, Election, Consequences, Electoral processes and Nigeria’s 2023 general

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