Ethno-religious Identity, Political Partisanship and Elections: A Post-Election Study of Young People in Nigeria

Abstract

Group identity (ethno-religious identity and political partisanship) plays a significant role in the voting behavior and perceptions of election outcomes in Nigeria. However, little is known whether attachment to political parties surpasses affiliations with an individual’s ethno-religious identity, as demonstrated in well-established democracies. This knowledge can inform policy and interventions for consolidating democracy in a large, heterogenous and high-stake country like Nigeria, where democratic backsliding remains a real concern as seen in the recent elections that was tremendously contested. This study, therefore, seeks to examine the impact of the interplay between ethno-religious identity and political partisanship on voting behavior and candidate choice for young people (18-35 years) in Nigeria. It also seeks to identify how young Nigerians perceive election outcomes will influence their personal economic well-being. The study adopts a multi-stage sampling to select respondents from the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).