Electoral Violence in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Implications for Political Stability

Elections are key pillars of democracy and have become the commonly accepted means of legitimizing government. Once elections are flawed, it is an invitation to violence in the State which may snowball into political instability. This study examines electoral violence in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic (1999 - 2015) and its implications for political stability. The methodology for this study is qualitative, using documentary evidence and the ex-post-facto research design in terms of reviewing the 2015 general elections. We adopted conflict theory as a framework of analysis and argue that the inordinate ambition of the political class and their allies to capture State power and retain it at all cost in order to expand their accumulation base is the cause of electoral violence in Nigeria. The study amongst others, recommends adherence to the rule of law as a major step to achieving stability in elections in Nigeria.