M. I. EBOMOYI

This study investigated the implications of political violence on the electoral participation of university students during Nigeria's 2023 general elections. The impelus for this inquiry was the pressing need to identify the elements that inhibit youth participation in democracy, particularly given their substantial proportion of the population. The study sought to determine the correlation between direct or indirect encounters with political violence and subsequent voter discouragement.It further explored the connection between the ferocity of inter-party competition and the frequency of violent occurrences. The methodology employed a survey-based research design, utilizing a structured questionnaire to gather data from a sample of one hundred (100) university students. The resulting data were subjected to analysis through descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and simple percentages. The proposed hypotheses were evaluated using the Simple Percentage Method. The findings indicate an alarmingly low level of student involvement in the electoral process, with a mere 30% of respondents participating in the presidential election. A substantial majority, 58%, identified fear of violence as their primary reason for abstaining from voting. The research documented a high occurrence of violence, with 54% of students reporting direct witness or knowledge of physical assaults. The testing of hypotheses established a significant correlation between the nature of the political violence experienced and the degree of voter discouragement. Furthermore, a significant relationship was confirmed between the intensity of political party rivalries and the prevalence of reported incidents of political violence. In conclusion, this study establishes that political violence, exacerbated by intense party rivalries, serves as a critical barrier to student electoral participation, effectively disenfranchising a vital segment of the nation's educated youth. In light of these conclusions, the study proposes the implementation of targeted security protocols in campus areas, the enhancement of voter education programs to emphasize safety rights, and a renewed commitment from political parties to conduct peaceful campaigns.

The use of medicinal plants as traditional medicine is made possible as a result of the presence of bioactive metabolite in plants which form the basis of herbal medication. This study was carried out to assess the antidiabetic activity of cocoa extract and its effect on body weight, food and water consumption using normal and diabetes mellitus-induced wistar albino rats. Thirty five healthy male Wistar albino rats with average body weight of 200 g were purchased and grouped into 5 groups (A to E) with 7 rats in each group. Group A was normal rats fed with standard rat feed (Normal control). Group B was diabetic rats fed with standard rat feed (Diabetic control). Group C was diabetic rats fed with standard rat feed + 300mg/kg cocoa extract (Low Dosage). Group D was diabetic rats fed with standard rat feed + 600mg/kg cocoa extract (Moderate Dosage). Group E was diabetic rats fed with standard rat feed + 900mg/kg cocoa extract (High Dosage). The result showed that there were significant differences in water and food intake of the rats across the treatment groups (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in fasting blood glucose levels of the rats across the treatment groups (p < 0.05). The histological plates also provide visual evidence of the effects of low dosage, moderate dosage, and high dosage of cocoa extracts on pancreatic tissue in a rat model of diabetes. While LD extract appears to have a positive impact on tissue architecture and islet regeneration, MD and HD cocoa extracts may have limited benefits in reversing diabetes-induced changes. These results provide a foundation for future research into the therapeutic potential of these extracts in managing diabetes.