voter turnout Nigeria

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.