ASSIGNMENT

With the choice of any researchable topic, explain the following:

1. Statement of the Problem

2. Objective of the Study

3. Hypothesis

Instructions: In each of the components, cite palpable illustration from the

literature

Topic: “Electoral Violence and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria: A

Study of the 2019 General Elections”

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A statement of the problem defines the issue that the research aims to
address. It should explain the gap in knowledge, the reason why the topic is
significant, and what negative effects may arise if the issue is not studied. It is a
clear, concise description of the issue(s) that the study addresses. It identifies the
gap between the current state (what is) and the desired state (what should be)
and provides justification for why the study is necessary (Creswell, 2014). The
Statement of the Problem is one of the most critical components of any academic
research. It provides the foundation for the study and answers the question:
“What issue is this research trying to solve, explain, or clarify?”

It is typically a concise and coherent description of the issue(s) that need to

be addressed and why those issues are significant. According to Kothari (2004),
the problem must be stated clearly, unambiguously and in operational terms. It
should present the relationship between two or more variables and suggest what
data are needed to resolve the problem.

Kombo and Tromp (2006) further defined it as a problem statement refers to

the description of an issue currently existing which needs to be addressed. It
identifies the gap between the current state and the desired state of affairs.

1
Key Elements of a Good Problem Statement

 A well-developed problem statement should include:

 The context and background of the issue.

 The gap in knowledge or practice that needs to be filled.

 Why the problem matters, its social, political, or economic impact.

 Who is affected and how they are affected.

 What will happen if the problem is not addressed (consequences).

In Political Science, the problem statement often highlights structural or

institutional weaknesses, civic behavior anomalies (like voter apathy), or
democratic development challenges. It provides a rationale for the study's
relevance to political theory, policy-making, or governance reforms.

Elections are the cornerstone of representative democracy, yet in Nigeria,

they are frequently accompanied by violence, fraud, and voter intimidation. The
2019 general elections, though widely anticipated as a consolidation point in
Nigeria’s democratic journey, were marred by widespread electoral violence that
significantly undermined citizens' confidence in the political process.

Palpably, according to the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD,

2019), over 626 incidents of violence were recorded during the election period,
including ballot box snatching, assassination attempts, attacks on polling stations,
and deaths. These events were concentrated in volatile states such as Rivers,
Kogi, Bayelsa, Lagos, and Kano, which also experienced low voter turnout. For
example, in Rivers State, elections in several areas had to be suspended due to
armed conflict involving party thugs and security operatives (Nwangwu et al.,
2020).

This violence dissuaded many citizens from participating in the electoral

process, thereby questioning the legitimacy of the electoral outcomes and
weakening public trust in democratic institutions. Scholars like Adesote and
2
Abimbola (2014) have argued that the frequent recurrence of such violence is
indicative of deeper structural and institutional weaknesses within Nigeria’s
political system, including weak electoral institutions, lack of political will to
prosecute offenders, and political party desperation to win at all costs.

Illustration from Literature:

Nwangwu, Aladegbola, and Onuoha (2020) provide an empirical account of

the violence that marred the 2019 elections, noting that the majority of the
violent incidents were politically motivated and often state-sponsored. They
observe that violence was not only used to suppress voter turnout but also to
influence electoral outcomes by targeting opposition strongholds.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Well-articulated objectives help guide the study's scope, data collection, and
analysis. These are the specific aims or purposes the researcher intends to
achieve through their research. These objectives provide direction, define the
scope of the study, and guide the research methodology and data collection.

Objectives typically fall into two categories:

 General Objective (or Main Objective): The broad goal or purpose of

the entire research.

 Specific Objectives: Narrow, actionable goals that break the general

objective into researchable components.

Kothari (2004), stated that the objective of the research should be clearly
defined. It tells us what the researcher is trying to achieve and also forms the
foundation for data collection and analysis. Meanwhile, Creswell (2014) defined
Research objectives to be statements of intent used in quantitative and qualitative
research that specify what the researcher plans to accomplish in the study.

3
 Objectives indicate what the study is trying to find out. They are central to
designing the questions to ask and the data to collect (Punch, 2005).
Furthermore, Kombo and Tromp (2006) affirmed that Objectives help break down
a general problem into smaller parts that are practical, measurable, and
achievable. They help the researcher to remain focused and avoid deviation from
the main purpose.

Importance of Research Objectives

Clearly stated objectives:

1. Provide a roadmap for the study.

2. Ensure clarity of purpose.

3. Help define the research design, tools, and data to be collected.

4. Assist in evaluating the success of the research.

5. Are crucial for drawing meaningful conclusions.

In Political Science research, objectives might aim to explore concepts like

electoral behavior, public policy effectiveness, political participation, conflict
resolution, or governance practices.

Research Objectives

The study of reviews aims to examine the influence of electoral violence on

Nigeria’s democratic consolidation with a particular focus on the 2019 general
elections. The specific objectives are as follows:

 To identify and categorize the various forms of electoral violence that

occurred during the 2019 elections.

 To evaluate the impact of electoral violence on voter turnout, participation,

and public confidence in the electoral process.

 To analyze the institutional and governmental responses to electoral

violence and propose practical solutions to reduce future occurrences.
4
Illustration from Literature:

According to Ibrahim and Ibeanu (2009), the role of violence in Nigerian

elections is not merely incidental but strategic. Political actors often use violence
to displace voters, especially in opposition strongholds, or to intimidate electoral
officials into falsifying results. The 2019 elections reflected this same pattern. The
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recorded multiple cases of
electoral officers being abducted, harassed, or forced to manipulate figures under
duress (INEC, 2019).

The implication is that electoral violence not only disrupts voting but actively
shapes electoral outcomes. This aligns with Bekoe (2011), who found across sub-
Saharan Africa that electoral violence has a statistically significant impact on
political engagement, trust in governance, and future voter participation.

3. HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is a foundational element in many research studies, especially

quantitative ones. It is a tentative, testable statement or prediction about the
relationship between two or more variables. The hypothesis guides the research
by specifying what the researcher expects to find and sets the stage for statistical
testing.

According to Creswell (2014), a hypothesis is a tentative statement about the

relationship between two or more variables. It is an educated guess or prediction
that can be tested by research. Kothari (2004), is of the opinion that a hypothesis
is a provisional assumption made to draw out and test its logical or empirical
consequences. It is an expectation or a suggested explanation for a phenomenon
that can be tested.

Furthermore, Neuman (2014) opined that hypotheses are specific, testable

predictions about what you expect to happen in your study. They state the
expected relationship between variables and can be supported or rejected

5
through data analysis. While Babbie (2013) confirmed that A hypothesis is a
theoretical statement predicting the relationship between variables. It functions as
a bridge between theory and empirical research.”

In political science research, hypotheses are used to test assumptions about

the relationship between two or more variables. In this case, the focus is on
whether electoral violence significantly affects voter turnout.

 Null Hypothesis (H₀): There is no significant relationship between

electoral violence and voter turnout during Nigeria’s 2019 general elections.

 Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): There is a significant negative relationship

between electoral violence and voter turnout during Nigeria’s 2019 general
elections.

Hypothesis tests the correlation between violence and turnout, assuming a

negative relationship. This hypothesis builds upon the work of Bekoe (2010), who
argued that in contexts where electoral violence is widespread, voters, particularly
marginalized groups, are less likely to participate due to fear and lack of trust in
the process.

Illustration from Literature:

A compelling statistical illustration is provided by Omotola (2010) who

examined voter behavior during previous elections and concluded that areas with
high incidences of violence, such as the Niger Delta and northern Nigeria,
consistently recorded lower voter turnout rates. This finding is mirrored in the
2019 elections where INEC reported an overall voter turnout of only 34.75%, one
of the lowest in Nigerian democratic history.

Furthermore, Idike (2014) demonstrated through survey data that over 60%
of respondents in conflict-prone zones identified fear of violence as the primary
reason for electoral abstention. Therefore, the hypothesis that electoral violence
significantly impacts voter turnout is both measurable and supported by empirical
studies.

6
REFERENCES:

Adesote, S. A., & Abimbola, J. O. (2014). Electoral Violence and the Survival of
Democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: A Historical Perspective.
Canadian Social Science, 10(3), 140–148.
https://doi.org/10.3968/4512
Babbie, E. (2013). The Practice of Social Research (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Burchard, S. M. (2015). Electoral violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: Causes and
consequences. Journal of Democracy, 26(3), 149–163.
https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2015.0051
Bekoe, D. A. (2011). Voting in Fear: Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
United States Institute of Peace.
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD). (2019). Final Election Observation
Report on the 2019 General Elections.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM). (2019). Final Report:
Nigeria 2019 General Elections.
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/eueom/missions/2019/
nigeria/
Ibrahim, J., & Ibeanu, O. (2009). The 2007 Elections and the Subversion of
Popular Sovereignty. Centre for Democracy and Development.
Idike, A. N. (2014). Political Participation in Nigeria: The Case of the 2011 General
Elections. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(23), 39–45.
https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p39
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). (2019). INEC Fact Sheet on
2019 Elections. https://www.inecnigeria.org/fact-sheet-on-2019-
elections/
INEC (2019). 2019 General Elections Report. Independent National Electoral
Commission. https://www.inecnigeria.org
Kombo, D. K., & Tromp, D. L. A. (2006). Proposal and Thesis Writing: An
Introduction. Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques (2nd ed.).
New Age International Publishers.
Omotola, J. S. (2010). Elections and Democratic Transition in Nigeria under the
Fourth Republic. African Affairs, 109(437), 535–553.
https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adq030
7
Neuman, W. L. (2014). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Nwangwu, C., Aladegbola, A. I., & Onuoha, C. (2020). Electoral Violence and the
2019 General Elections in Nigeria. Journal of African Elections,
19(1), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.20940/JAE/2020/v19i1a3
Punch, K. F. (2005). Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative
Approaches (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.