Electoral Violence and Nigeria Economic Prospects: A Glimpse of 2015 Elections

Ojeaga, Paul and Odejimi, Deborah (2015): Electoral Violence and Nigeria Economic Prospects: A Glimpse of 2015 Elections. Forthcoming in:

Abstract

Modern societies can be differentiated from pre modern societies by the existence of a social contract amongst the resident of a given geographical area, therefore modern societies often find elections as way of selecting representatives to govern a given territory. Nigeria also remains the largest economy in Africa, attractive to foreign investors and the most populated of all African countries. Ethic divide also weaken the country making it difficult to govern. The study investigates the effect of the 2015 general elections on the Nigerian Economy, by analyzing its impact in a pre, during and post-election scenario. The questions asked in the study included if the Nigerian economic condition depreciated prior to, during and after the 2015 general elections? To what extent has youth despair particularly towards their future employability reduced since after the 2015 general elections, and finally if the seemingly stable political climate improved investors perception and increased the ease of doing trade in Nigeria? Nigeria like any other developing country is plagued with political instability, poor leadership succession process, weak electoral process and endemic poverty. The study finds that in the periods before, during and after elections Nigeria economic outlook where gleam.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Nigerian Elections, Political Economy, Instrumental Interests, Expressive Interests and Voters Paradox
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C7 - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory > C72 - Noncooperative Games; H - Public Economics > H1 - Structure and Scope of Government; P - Economic Systems > P4 - Other Economic Systems; P - Economic Systems > P4 - Other Economic Systems > P48 - Political Economy ; Legal Institutions ; Property Rights ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Regional Studies

References

BBC Report Nigerian Elections: Kano Christians Exodus by Lucy Fleming March 2015 Available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32054402.

Brennan, Geoffrey (2008) “Psychological Dimensions of Voter Choice.” Public Choice 137::475-489

Brennan, Geoffrey and Loren Lomasky. (1993) “Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral Preference.” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Daily Trust Report by Vincent Egunyanga February 2015 Available at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/news/19513-2015-elections-mass-exodus-of-northerners-hit-south-south.

Caplan Bryan (2007) “The Myth of the Rational Voter” Princeton University Press Available at http://www.libertarianismo.org/livros/tmotrvbc.pdf

Central Bank of Nigeria Statistics 2013

CIA World Fact Report 2013

Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, James A. Robinson (2001): The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation .The American Economic Review, Vol. 91, No. 5 (Dec., 2001), pp. 1369-1401 Published by: American Economic Association Available at http://economics.mit.edu/files/4123

European Commission Report (2013) Available at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/documents/com/com_com(2014)0288_/com_com(2014)0288_en.pdf

Mackie G. (2011) An Examination of the Expressive Theory of Voting Available at http://pages.ucsd.edu/~gmackie/documents/Expressive%20Voting.pdf

Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Country statistics 2013

Ojeaga P. May (2014a) “Does Foreign Aid Promote Trade: Evidence From Some Selected African Countries” European Journal of Contemporary Economics and Management Vol1. No.1 Available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Ojeaga/publications?sorting=newest&page=2

Ojeaga P (2014b) “Economic Policy, Does it Help Life Expectancy? An African Evidence on the Role of Economic Policy on Longevity” Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263661204_Economic_Policy_Does_it_Help_Life_Expectancy_An_African_Evidence_on_the_Role_of_Economic_Policy_on_Longevity?ev=prf_pub

Premium Times Nigeria February 13 2015 Available at http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/176802-58-nigerians-killed-2015-pre-election-violence-far-rights-commission.html United Nations Statistics 2010

United Nations Statistics 2013