ETHNICITY AND RELIGION IN NIGERIA ELECTION, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION: A CASE STUDY OF LAGOS STATE

ABSTRACT

The study explored Ethnicity and religion in Nigeria election, an assessment of the 2023 general election: a case study of Lagos state. This study examined the extent to which religious and ethnic communities’ shapes voter’s choices and political actions, identifying the impacts on past electoral process and alignment in Lagos state sociopolitical environment, it also investigated possible opportunities and challenges that comes along the diverse ethnic and religious population in Lagos state as well as issues and concerns surrounding ethnicity and religion in Nigeria electoral process in Lagos state. This research utilizes a quantitative data Collection method. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from 171 respondents. Descriptive analysis was adopted in the examination of the subject of the study. Findings revealed that ethnicity and religion influences electoral process in the 2023 general election in Lagos state. Considering the findings, some proposal was put forward to the government to encourage national unity, strengthening INEC as an electoral institution, as well as encouraging inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue. Similarly, political parties should come up with programs promoting issue-based campaign, promotion of power sharing agreement and a culture of tolerance. By so doing the influences of ethnicity and religion in the electoral process of Lagos state can be reduced to a minimal extent.