ABSTRACT
This study discusses the peculiar nature of poverty and thuggery as well as the attendant violence that characterize the general election in Nigeria’s fourth republic. Since independence the Nigeria’s political processes had witnessed massive electoral fraud followed by violence which has compromised the very ethics of liberal democracy in spite of several electoral reforms that have no positive effect. With unprecedented political thuggery and uncontrolled violence, characterized by wanton destruction of lives and property, election period in Nigeria is best described as warfare. The objective of this study hanged on poverty and thuggery in Nigeria’s politics: a case study of 1999 to 2007 general election. Also, to know how and why the Nigerian democratic environment has been characterized by electoral violence; analyze its nature, dimension, context and consequences. Secondary method of data collections were used because of the fairly reliable published data on election that are now available in text books, journals, news papers/magazines, The analysis of the data collected for the research is be done through the descriptive and analytical method. However, this study is an effort in this regard. Following a critical analysis of the elections in Nigeria’s politics categorization of Nigerian general elections as transitory or consolidation elections, the paper substantiates the proposition that transitory elections have tended to be more free and fair than consolidation elections. hence, the study advocates for the necessity of electoral reforms which make the incumbency factor not amenable to exploitation during elections if democratic order is to be enthroned. The study concludes that, Nigeria should produce selfless and visionary leaders, educated masses as well as operating within the frame work of true federalism so as to make appreciable improvement on her development strides.
KEYWORDS: Politics, Poverty, Political Thuggery, Election, Democracy, Violent.
