Perception of University Undergraduates on Electoral Malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined perception of university undergraduates on electoral malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria. Descriptive research design was adopted. The population of the study consisted of 680,144 university undergraduates in seven Federal and 11 state universities in Southwest, Nigeria as at the time of this study. The sample of the study consisted of 1600 respondents that were selected through the multi-stage sampling techniques. Questionnaire was the instrument used in the study with face and content validity procedures ensured. A reliability coefficient of 0.73 was obtained and this was considered reliable. The data generated for this study were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics of frequency counts, mean and percentages were used to answer the research questions while inferential statistics were used to test the hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 was tested using ANOVA while t-test was used to test hypotheses 2 and 3. The result of the study revealed different forms of electoral malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria and these include harassment of candidates’ agents and voters, inflation of figures, ballot box snatching, political assassination, unauthorised announcements of election results, vote-buying, rigging of election results, fake printing of ballot papers, kidnapping during elections and underage voting. The study also revealed a moderate level of electoral malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria.  The finding of this study revealed that the perception of university undergraduates to electoral malpractice in Nigeria is not favourable. It was revealed that there was no significant difference in university undergraduates’ perceptions of electoral malpractice based on religious affiliation, among others. It was concluded that the level of electoral malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria was moderate and the university undergraduates have negative perception of electoral malpractice in Southwest, Nigeria. The study recommended that, the electoral body, INEC, should be more transparent and impartial at every stage of the electioneering process to positively change the undergraduates’ perception of electoral malpractice.

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-4-02

Publication date: February 28^th 2023