Ethno-Religious Issues and Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases of Nigeria and Kenya

Abstract

Liberal democracy is characterized by main attributes such as periodic and regular competition for political power with the governed as free agents exercising their free and unfettered choice among competing platforms. Elections have undoubtedly become a significant and crucial pillar in the democratic process since they underscore the principles of political participation, accountability and legitimacy. However, democratic transitions in Africa are historically more complex than in other parts of the world. Specifically, the intersection of politics with ethnicity and religion are perhaps major factors in this regard. For instance, the conduct of elections 
in plural societies like Nigeria and Kenya are often fraught with animosities  and violence. At the core of this bitter contest is the struggle for power by  factional elite groups perceived as representing ethno-religious and regional  interest. The countries’ electoral history is replete with narratives of flawed  and disputed elections that have turned violent, resulting in numerous  fatalities and reversing previous attempts at democratic consolidation. This  paper therefore examines the influence of ethnicity and religion on the  electoral process in Nigeria and Kenya. It engages the issues or factors that  make elections conduct in both countries to be violent prone and undermine  attempts at institutionalizing a stable democratic tradition. The paper  employs the qualitative and content analysis approach by relying on  secondary data from books, journal articles and newspaper commentaries.  It affirms that ethnicity and religion play a major role in the elections of both 
countries and concludes with practicable recommendations