VOTER CARD TRADING AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION OF 2019 DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Political conflicts are endemic in Nigeria and this is flowing from the context of its historical development, such that, a holistic approach is necessary to identify the factors that fan the embers of any conflict in Nigeria, just as in many other ill-defined federal states with plural identity groups where intergroup conflicts are common, and precipitating factors are most often, the skewed distribution of socio-economic and political resources which breed inequalities amongst culturally and sometimes religiously different groups. In juxtaposition of a structure with such prevailing practices, there will be attendant perception of injustice and marginalization wherein certain groups will construe enemy images of the government and other groups who appear to be favored by it. The study recognizes that such structures differ from place to place, and conflict management should be situated within the conflict environment. It also  inform  the  approach  of  analysis  of  the  structures  and  actors  in  such conflict  contexts,  like  the  social,  economic,  political,  and  security  dimensions in any given conflict situation. As democratic  elections remain indicators of  early warning of  violence  in  many  states  in  both  rural  and  urban  settings, a study on the  Permanent Voters Card (PVC) trading is necessary to determine its relationship to political conflicts with a focus on the  2019 elections violence in Taraba State and Nigeria as a whole. Bilateral bargaining theory of vote buying was the basis of the study. The study took a historical and descriptive approach, while the methodology relied on field survey, both primary and secondary sources of data were employed; such as interviews, participant observation, public documents, and library and online resources. The study recommended that the electoral management body (INEC) should be better positioned to discharge her responsibility of electoral management and mitigate conflicts emanating from political activities for sustainable peace and development in the society.