Andrew Amadasu

Local governments in Nigeria are to provide services aimed at improving the welfare of
people living within their jurisdictions. In this research work, the researcher intended to
have a general discussion with local government as my background. But lack of space
may not allow me for detailed discussion and analysis. However, all essential parts of the role of local government administration in economic and social development of rural areas in Nigeria are discussed. In chapter one, I discussed the background of the
problem of study, the scope, some research questions and research hypothesis, significant and some definition of terms. Chapter two contains review of related literature, local government, social and economic development process, characteristics of rural area and the history of local government. Furthermore, chapter three contains research design, area of study, population and sample size, instrument for data collection, validation of instrument, reliability of instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis. Chapter four contains presentation and analysis of data, testing of hypothesis and summary of result. Finally, chapter five contains discussion of result findings, conclusion, and implication of the research findings, recommendation, limitation and suggestion for further research.

This study examines the effect of party politics on political campaigns in Nigeria, with specific emphasis on the 2023 presidential election in Anambra state. Nigeria has come a long way since 1922 in terms of the number and spread of political parties. The number of political parties and their spread seems to give the impression that representation has become an important requirement for the existence of political parties. The study adopts a survey design and employs quantitative research methods. Primary data is collected through structured questionnaires administered. The sample size is determined using Cochrane (1977) sample size determination formula, yielding approximately 390respondents, selected through stratified random sampling to ensure proportional representation. The data collected from the instruments were organized in tables using simple percentages. Cronbach's Alpha is employed to test the reliability of the research instrument, ensuring consistency in measuring the variables. Findings from the study revealed that Nigerian political parties often lack clear ideologies making it difficult for voters to distinguish between them. This ambiguity fuels party defections and transactional politics. It was also revealed that politicians make provocative statements that ignite passions and hostilities among their supporters, often targeting opponents or rival groups. The study offers valuable recommendations that political candidates and party members should make frantic efforts to inform or persuade electorates for their votes rather than mislead them with enticing words or making hate speeches capable of disrupting the electoral process and causing disenchantment among the electoraes, it was also recommended that political candidates and parties should communicate their political agenda without the use of force, destructive tendencies and unhealthy rivalry among one party and the other and between party members and electorates.

Youth participation in politics remains pivotal in the sustenance of a nation’s democracy. Participation not only ensures that the government performs its duties, but also guarantees the rights of ordinary people to participate in their community development. Activities such as voting in an election, sponsoring a candidate, petitioning or participating in a protest are forms of political participationthat
influence public policy directly or indirectly through affecting the selection process of those who govern the people. The study attempted to examine the impacts of the youths on the democratic process in Edo State: A case study of the 2023 general elections. The study interrogated the following research questions: What was the level of the youths’ turnout during the 2023 general election in Edo State? What were the different ways the youths participated in the 2023 general election in Edo State? What were the youths’ patterns of voting in the 2023 general elections in Edo State?Did the youths indulge in electoral violence in the 2023 general election in Edo State? In what ways can youth political participation and the democratic process in Edo State and Nigeria be improved? Theoretically, the study utilized the system theory to explain youth political participation and the democratic process in Edo State during the2023general election. Methodologically, the study surveyed 392 respondents inOredoLocal Government Area through a structured questionnaire. The study madethefollowing key findings. The first finding was that there was massive youths’ turnout
during the general election in Edo State. The second finding was that the youthsparticipated in the elections by joining the INEC team as ad hoc staff, sensitizingthepeople on how to locate their voting centers and ways to vote in the electionandcampaigning for their preferred candidates. The third finding shows the patterns forwhich the youths voted during the 2023 general elections in Edo State. In that order, the pattern were voting to safeguard the future of Edo State and Nigeria’s democracy as well as foster national development, voting based on religion, personality of the candidates, ethnicity and political party. The last finding shows that the youths were also involved in various forms of electoral violence such as voter inducement, ballot box snatching and thuggery. The study therefore recommends that the government should create an enabling environment that can stimulate youths’ participation in Nigeria’s democratic process, implement the various policies such as ‘Not Too Young to Run’, and speedily implemented, need for proper sensitization of the Nigerian youths on the need to participate in politics and criminal elements are not good for the growth and development of any country

Youth participation in politics remains pivotal in the sustenance of a nation’s democracy. Participation does not only ensure that government performs its duties, but also guarantees the rights of ordinary people to participate in their community development. Activities such as voting in an election, sponsoring a candidate, petitioning or participating in a protest are forms of political participation that influence public policy directly or indirectly through affecting the selection process of those who govern the people. The study attempted to examine the impacts of the youths on democratic process in Edo State: A case study of 2023 general elections. The study interrogated the following research questions: What was the level of the youths’ turnout during the 2023 general election in Edo State? What were the different ways the youths participated in the 2023 general election in Edo State? What were the youths’ patterns of voting in 2023 general elections in Edo State? Did the youths indulge in electoral violence in the 2023 general election in Edo State? In what ways can youth political participation and democratic process in Edo State and Nigeria be improved? Theoretically, the study utilized the system theory to explain youth political participation and democratic process in Edo State during the 2023 general election. Methodologically, the study surveyed 392 respondents in Oredo Local Government Area through a structured questionnaire. The study made the following key findings. The first finding was that there was massive youths’ turnout during the general election in Edo State. The second finding was that the youths participated in the elections by joining the INEC team as ad hoc staff, sensitizing the people on how to locate their voting centers and ways to vote in the election and campaigning for their preferred candidates. The third finding shows the patterns for which the youths voted during the 2023 general elections in Edo State. In that order, the pattern were voting to safeguard the future of Edo State and Nigeria’s democracy as well as foster national development, voting based on religion, personality of the candidates, ethnicity and political party. The last finding shows that the youths were also involved in various forms of electoral violence such as voter inducement, ballot box snatching and thuggery. The study therefore recommends that the government should create an enabling environment that can stimulate youths’ participation in the Nigeria’s democratic process, implement the various policies such as ‘Not Too Yong Run’ should be speedily implemented, need for proper sensitization of the Nigerian youths on the need to participate in politics and criminal elements are not good for the growth and development of any country.

The purpose of this research work is to examine the Role of Social Media on Local Government politics: Using Ovia North East as a case study. Three Research questions and Three Research hypothesis was examined in the study. To achieve this, the descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study focused on Ovia North East Local government Area hence, population consists of all adults 18 years and above, residing in Ovia North East Local government Area. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 75 adults. To this end, the researcher recommended that social media should be used more on campaigns of those seeking political offices to reveal their manifestoes to a wider reach of electorates. The harmful effect of using social media to discredicts political opponents through spreading of disinformation and fake news should be stopped by those politicians involved as the betterment of the country is more than anyones selfish interests. The laws on punishments of those spreading fake news should be properly enforce, to desist those involved in spreading fake news

This research study examined National Question of State Police as a Panacea to Security in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the crime rates in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, find out the most common crime in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, ascertain the roles of State Police in crime control in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, and determine the perception of the Edo South residents towards State Police if established. Anchored on structural functionalism theory as the theoretical framework of the study, the research descriptive survey design methods and questionnaires to obtain information and employ frequencies and percentages to analyze data. The research unveils that there is a high rate of crime in the senatorial district, kidnapping rank first among the common crime in the senatorial district, followed by cultism, theft/burglary, then rape, and fighting, Edo South senatorial district residents perceived that the if State Police get established, will be very good, worthwhile and commendable. It was suggested that the government should make a priority to meaningfully engage the youth in the county thereby reducing the rate of unemployment, for an adage says "idle hands are the devil's workshop, the establishment of the State Police is strategic to the national security of the country because of its size and heterogeneous nature. The State Police if created will not only decongest the administrative stress at the federal level but will also have a closer chief of security officer in the person of the governor monitoring to address security issues before they escalate, to this end if it gets initiated, it should be guided against abuse by State actors.

This research study examined National Question of State Police as a Panacea to Security in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the crime rates in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, find out the most common crime in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, ascertain the roles of State Police in crime control in Edo South Senatorial District, Edo State, and
determine the perception of the Edo South residents towards State Police if established. Anchored on structural functionalism theory as the theoretical framework of the study, the research descriptive survey design methods and
questionnaires to obtain information and employ frequencies and percentages to analyze data. The research unveils that there is a high rate of crime in the senatorial district, kidnapping rank first among the common crime in the
senatorial district, followed by cultism, theft/burglary, then rape, and fighting, Edo South senatorial district residents perceived that the if State Police get established, will be very good, worthwhile and commendable. It was suggested
that the government should make a priority to meaningfully engage the youth in the county thereby reducing the rate of unemployment, for an adage says "idle hands are the devil's workshop, the establishment of the State Police is strategic to the national security of the country because of its size and heterogeneous nature. The State Police if created will not only decongest the administrative stress at the federal level but will also have a closer chief of security officer in the person of the governor monitoring to address security issues before they escalate, to this end if it gets initiated, it should be guided against abuse by State actors.