By Ene Gift Linus
Democracy on paper
is not enough. Free, fair, and violence-free elections are crucial for the
protection and deepening of representative democracy in any country. It is
shameful and inhuman when political candidates use their own citizens as pawn
to pave the way for their political ambitions. Unfortunately, electoral
violence has been a continuous problem in Nigerian politics since she became a
federation in 1963.
Usually, the violence and killings occur either before the
election (electoral campaign) or after the election.The First Republic (1963-1966) collapsed due to
the widespread violence unleashed by politicians in the disputed
19665 general election that led to the first military coup of January 15, 196.
During the Second Republic (1979), the country returned to civil rule, but not
long before some politicians again, resorted to electoral violence especially
during the August 1983 general election where political observers said that,
Akin Omoboriowo versus Governor Adekunle Ajasin saga in the old Ondo State
allegedly involved in electoral fraud in the state led to three days of severe
killings and arson, resulting in military takeover on December 31, 1983.
