ROLE OF RELIGION IN NIGERIAN POLITICAL PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY OF 2023 GENERAL ELECTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Democracy is currently at the front burner of scholarly debate in Nigerian political and religious discourse. The effective practice and strict observance of the rules, values, principles and ethics of democracy has become a means of transforming societies to greater heights. Nigerian democracy has raised concerns and questions demanding answers as to why the country is still struggling with issues such as: justice, federal development and equal distribution of national resources. This research exposes carefully governance in Nigeria. This research reviews that democracy in Nigeria especially at the local government level has not done up to it expectation due to corruption partisan politics upper governmental interference among others. Again this research seeks to explain how religion can be used as a tool for effective democracy in Nigeria. Religion could influence a wide range of belief and social behaviours. It could affect the societal architecture, institutions and mechanisms through a multitude of economic, political and attitudinal variables. In particular, religion could affect the social preference for a democratic societal framework. Religion plays effective roles in the Nigeria electoral practices, such as; voters mobilization /sensitization, electoral monitoring and peace building, electoral violence mitigation, voter education and awareness and so many others The methods of data collection in this research is both primary and secondary sources, such as previous works of foreign and local authors who have written on the relevant issues in journals, books of reading, internet documentaries and lecture notes. The primary sources include both participant and non-participant methods of observation.