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Voting with One’s Feet or for One’s Future? Electoral Migration, Voter Vulnerability and the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria

Mike Omilusi*

Electoral politics in Nigeria is traditionally characterized by tension-soaked atmosphere, outbreaks of violence both “incidental” and “strategic” coupled with zero-sum political systems which are high stakes and confrontational in nature. In view of the fact that elections are often heralded by palpable insecurity and held amidst open brigandage throughout the electoral cycle, institutions of democracy in the country become battle grounds and face enormous political pressure as a prelude to election day contest. The buildup to the 2019 general elections justifies this submission as many of the risk factors that affected past elections remain unchanged. Given such a picture as history has repeatedly painted with grim outlines, there is thus, a pattern of internal and cross border migratory movements during elections in Nigeria the elites relocating their families abroad and other Nigerians seeking refuge in their communities. The overriding questions are: How does this pattern of electoral migration impact on voter turnout and legitimacy of the process? How has this potential threat to the realisation of peaceful and credible election elicited synergy among government, political parties, media and the civil society on possible negative consequences of insecurity and fear of uncertainty? Using secondary sources of data collection, this article therefore, seeks to explore the interplay of voter migratory movement and election security in Nigeria. It avers that unhindered meaningful participation of citizens in public affairs, which is a distinguishing feature of democratic societies, is key to democratic sustenance in Nigeria. This is meant to entrench a credible electoral process as the foundation for building democratic institutions, two decades after the emergence of civil rule.