Ethno-religious voting in Nigeria: interrogating voting patterns in the 2019 presidential election

Journal article


Babalola, D. 2020. Ethno-religious voting in Nigeria: interrogating voting patterns in the 2019 presidential election. The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs. 109 (4), p. 377–385. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1788763
AuthorsBabalola, D.
Abstract

This article analyses voting patterns in Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election. Its main objective is to gauge continuity or change in ethnic, regional and religious voting in Nigeria’s elections. The paper takes a historical approach in examining voting patterns in the past elections as a background to the examination of the 2019 presidential election. It was discovered that ethnic, regional and religious sentiments were still major factors that shaped voting choice in the election.

KeywordsPresidential election; Voting pattern; Ethno-regional identity; Religious identity
Year2020
JournalThe Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs
Journal citation109 (4), p. 377–385
PublisherTaylor & Francis
ISSN0035-8533
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1788763
Official URLhttp://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1788763
Publication dates
Online20 Aug 2020
Publication process dates
Deposited03 Sep 2020
Accepted12 Feb 2020
Accepted author manuscript
Output statusPublished
References

References
Abba, S., & Babalola, D. (2017). Contending issues in political parties in Nigeria: The candidate selection process. Journal of Pan African Studies, 11(1), 118–134.

Babalola, D. (2018a). Ethnicity, ethnic conflict and the elusive quest for peace in post-military Nigeria. In D. Babalola & H. Onapajo (Eds.), Nigeria, a country under Siege: Issues of conflict and its management (pp. 21–46). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Babalola, D. (2018b). Voting behaviour, politicisation of religion and the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria. In T. Bakut, E. Iji, & C. Ayuba (Eds.), Election conflict and management: Lessons from the 2015 general elections in Nigeria (pp. 139–164). Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution(IPCR).

Babalola, D. (2019). The political economy of federalism in Nigeria. Palgrave Macmillan.

Dudley, B. (1982). An introduction to Nigerian government and politics. Indiana University Press.

Graf, W. D. (1988). The Nigerian state: Political economy, state, class and political system in the post-colonial era. Currey.

Ige, B. (1995). People, Politics and politicians of Nigeria (1940–1979). Heinemann Educational Books (Nig.) Plc.

Ihonvbere, J. O. (1999). Militarisation and democratisation: Nigeria’s stalled march to democracy.

In K. Mengisteab & C. Daddieh (Eds.), State building and democratisation in Africa: Faith, Hope and realities, (pp. 101–124). Praeger Publisher.

Kurfi, A. (1983). The Nigerian general elections, 1959 and 1979 and the Aftermath. Macmillan Nigeria.

Lee, K. (2015). Nigeria’s high-stakes presidential elections: A very basic guide. Vox 2016 Presidential Election. Retrieved February 1, 2016, from http://www.vox.com/2015/3/28/8305235/nigeriaelections-
basic-guide

Lewis, P. M. (1994). Endgame in Nigeria? The politics of a failed democratic transition. African
Affairs, 93(372), 323 -340.https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a098722

Nnoli, O. (1995). Ethnicity and development in Nigeria. Avebury.

Omotola, S. J. (2010). Elections and democratic transition in Nigeria under the Fourth Republic.
African Affairs, 109(437), 535–553.

Onapajo, H. (2016). Politics and the Pulpit: The rise and decline of religion in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential elections. Journal of African Elections, 15(2), 112–135. https://doi.org/10.20940/JAE/2016/v15i2a6

Osaghae, E. E. (1998). Crippled giant: Nigeria since independence. Hurst Company.

Oyediran, O. (1981). Voting behaviour. In O. Oyediran (Ed.), The Nigerian 1979 elections (pp. 93–110). Macmillan Nigeria.

Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/8w184/ethno-religious-voting-in-nigeria-interrogating-voting-patterns-in-the-2019-presidential-election

Download files

  • 135
    total views
  • 777
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 14
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

ECOWAS and the challenge of preventing a resurgence of coups d’état in West Africa: An assessment of the ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy
Babalola, D. and Onapajo, H. 2024. ECOWAS and the challenge of preventing a resurgence of coups d’état in West Africa: An assessment of the ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy. South African Journal of International Affairs. 31 (1), pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10220461.2024.2353266
Party politics, dearth of political ideology, and the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria
Babalola, D. 2024. Party politics, dearth of political ideology, and the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs. 113 (5).
Power sharing in Nigeria’s divided society: structures, conflicts and challenges
Babalola, D. and Onapajo, H. 2024. Power sharing in Nigeria’s divided society: structures, conflicts and challenges. in: Aboultaif, E. W., Keil, S. and McCulloch, A. (ed.) Power-Sharing in the Global South: Patterns, Practices and Potentials Cham: Switzerland Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 145-167
Federalism in the Covid 19 period and beyond
Babalola, D. 2023. Federalism in the Covid 19 period and beyond. Cuadernos Manuel Giménez Abad. 9, pp. 148-164. https://doi.org/10.47919/FMGA.CM23.0117
The challenges of nation-building in Nigeria and the state-building alternative
Babalola, Dele and Okafor, Chukwuemeka 2022. The challenges of nation-building in Nigeria and the state-building alternative. Ethnopolitics. 23 (1), pp. 20-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449057.2022.2101308
Federalism and the Covid-19 pandemic: A perspective from Nigeria
Babalola, D. 2021. Federalism and the Covid-19 pandemic: A perspective from Nigeria. in: Federalism Year Book 2021: Federalism, Subsidiarity and Regions in Europe European Center for Research on Federalism Tübingen (EZFF), Baden-Baden: Nomos European Center for Research on Federalism Tübingen (EZFF). pp. 139-148
Restructuring, political gimmicks and elite manipulation in Nigeria
Onapajo, H. and Babalola, D. 2021. Restructuring, political gimmicks and elite manipulation in Nigeria. in: Tella, O. (ed.) A Sleeping Giant? Nigeria’s Domestic and International Politics in the Twenty-First Century Cham, Switzerland Springer Nature. pp. 61-71
Nigeria’s 2019 general elections – a shattered hope?
Onapajo, H. and Babalola, D. 2020. Nigeria’s 2019 general elections – a shattered hope? The Round Table. 109 (4), pp. 363-367. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1788765
The political economy of federalism in Nigeria
Babalola, D. 2019. The political economy of federalism in Nigeria. Palgrave Macmillan.
Resource abundance and the dilemma of fiscal federalism in Nigeria
Babalola, D. and Okafor, O. 2019. Resource abundance and the dilemma of fiscal federalism in Nigeria . Journal of African Political Economy and Development. 4 (1), pp. 3-21.
New clamour for “restructuring” in Nigeria: elite politics, contradictions, and good governance
Babalola, D. and Onapajo, H. 2019. New clamour for “restructuring” in Nigeria: elite politics, contradictions, and good governance. African Studies Quarterly. Volume 18 (Issue 4), pp. 41-56.
Ethnicity, ethnic conflict and the elusive quest for peace in Nigeria
Babalola, D. 2018. Ethnicity, ethnic conflict and the elusive quest for peace in Nigeria. in: Nigeria, a Country Under Siege: Issues of Conflict and its Management in Democratic Nigeria Newcastle Upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 21-46
Contending Issues in Political Parties in Nigeria: The Candidate Selection Process
Babalola, D. and Abba, S. 2017. Contending Issues in Political Parties in Nigeria: The Candidate Selection Process. Journal of Pan African Studies . 11 (1), pp. 118-134.
The efficacy of federalism in a multi-ethnic state: the Nigerian experience
Babalola, D. 2015. The efficacy of federalism in a multi-ethnic state: the Nigerian experience. The Journal of Pan African Studies. 8 (2), pp. 74-92.
Youth unemployment and armed insurrection in post-military Nigeria: the contending issues
Babalola, D. and Ayuba, C. 2015. Youth unemployment and armed insurrection in post-military Nigeria: the contending issues. The Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies . 40 (3), p. 263–288.