High Gains High Stakes, Make It or Break It: Theorizing the Foundations of Electoral Violence in Africa

Abstract

Election is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Supposedly, such end would refer to resultant political goods, development, peace, and progress democratic societies are expected to enjoy. However, the observed spate of electoral fraud, violence, money bag politics, prebendalism, vote buying, among other factors continually undermine and sometimes overshadow the progress made in democratization efforts in Africa. While copious studies have highlighted the above factors as the bane of credible elections and threat to democratic consolidation in Africa, a deeper understanding of why these factors in the first place come into play in Africa’s elections is further desired. This study, therefore asks the central question, “Why do African political actors invest enormous resources in elections and employ violence?” This article theoretically thus explains that the vast “access” political office holders have to state resources is the driving force behind the desperation to winning elections. Adopting Nigeria as the centrepiece of its argument, this work argues that achieving much gains on the front of Africa’s democratic consolidation requires more than the strengthening of institutional frameworks for elections, as the ideology and perception of political actors towards the essence and acquisition of political power plays a very strong role in the overall engagement of these actors in electoral violence and other electoral vices. Consequently, it is suggested that political offices be made less attractive by ensuring that the gains of winning elections, and the disadvantages of losing them are reduced to avoid the violence that a winner-takes-all situation can trigger.