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ABSTRACT
Democracy is a popular form of government that prides in popular participation. It is said to be government of the people by the people and for the people. However, one of the most popular means through which the people can participate in their democratic process is by elections. However, democracy and elections in Nigeria has often been characterized by different forms of election violence including vote buying. While this holds, research concentration has been on the impact of vote buying on democratic consolidation in Nigeria using federal and state elections. It is in this sense that this study examined vote buying and democratic consolidation in the 2023 Local Government elections in Edo State. Local government elections are viable instruments for political participation and socialization as the local levels. The study interrogated four research questions: Was there vote buying in the 2023 Local Government election in in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State? What were the causes of vote buying in the 2023 Local Government election in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State? Did the vote buying in the 2023 Local Government election affect democratic consolidation in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State? What solutions to vote buying can improve democracy and future elections in Oredo Local Government and Edo State? Also, theoretically, the study utilized the General Incentive Theory to examine the influence incentives in undermining local government elections in Edo State and Nigeria. Methodologically, the study surveyed one and hundred and ninety two respondents in Oredo Local government Area, Edo State using semi-structured interview to elicit responses from the sampled respondents. The study found that there was widespread vote buying during the elections in Oredo LGA in Edo State; found that found that desperation for power, poverty, illiteracy and fear of were the factors that that caused vote buying in the election. The study therefore recommended that there is need for the Nigerian government, both at the federal, state and local government levels, to ensure that local government elections are well-prepared for and monitored; sensitize the people on the need to participate in local government elections; and make laws criminalizing election infraction to be more potent. There is a need to tackle rising poverty in Oredo LGA and indeed Edo State in order to prevent politicians taking advantage of poverty to induce voters in future elections.
