AN EVALUATION OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN OWAN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

The study examines an evaluation of relationship between poverty and electoral violence in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Descriptive survey research design was utilized in the research with questionnaires as the method of data collection. The sample size of ninety-seven thousand three hundred eighty-eighth (97388) drawn purposively from the population. A Sample size of four hundred (400) questionnaire was randomly selected from the population. Based on the findings it was revealed that revealed that poverty exists when people lack the means to satisfy their basic needs. It also revealed that electoral violence is a specie of political violence that has become the hallmark of Nigeria’s electoral process. Also, poverty is a social problem that leads to other social, economic and political disturbances in Owanwest local government area of Edo State. From the analysis it was also revealed that the consequences of poverty are notable among the effects of electoral violence in Owan-West local government area. Poverty is a global phenomenon but it is more common among developing countries, Nigeria inclusive. Nigeria is the Africa’s most populous country. Poverty is a ravaging monster in Nigeria. It has been a serious threat to the country’s existence. This study concludes that poverty, if not reduced or totally eradicated will expose the society to other social deviance acts and cause crime among its citizenry such as stealing, child trafficking, child abuse and maltreatment, pick pocketing, burglary and house theft and the likes within the state which is a microcosm of the larger society(Nigeria). The study therefore made the following recommendations that Policy makers should enact policies that will curb corrupt practices in the state. This is done to create a good platform for equal and even sharing of the benefits of governmental programmes in the state for all her citizens. Government should ensure that there is enough enlightenment on the danger of electoral violence in the state, this is to ensure that all citizens should be carried along in this scheme of things. This is to make the country attain its goal of reducing the poverty level of the state. Government in all its capacity should ensure that there is a full implementation of all its policies and programmes. This is to guarantee that all the citizens within and outside the state can benefit in small or adequate measure from the dividend of good governance in the state.