POLITICAL CULTURE AND ELECTION MALPRACTICE AMONG STUDENTS IN STUDENT UNION GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BNIN CITY

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the political culture and election malpractice among students in student union government elections in university of Benin, Benin City. Four research questions and two hypothesis guided the study. The sample comprised 200 undergraduate students. The instrument used in collecting data was the questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Results showed that the major causes of election malpractice amongst others are the desire to gain undue advantage over credible candidates, absence of correct and genuine data, corruption within the security forces and the electoral body. Results also showed the consequences of election malpractice to include amongst others, electoral violence, emergence of incompetent leaders, lack of transparency and unpopular government. Results also showed the preventive measures of election malpractices to include that votes should not be bought with money or gift items; the electoral body should be well trained and continued to be trained and materials for elections must be adequate and distributed on time. It was therefore recommended that miscreants should not be allowed to contest election. The electoral body should be adequately funded to enable it discharge its responsibilities.