IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 12, Ver. III (Dec. 2014), PP 59-68 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 59 | Page Election-Related Violence and Security Challenges in Nigeria: Lessons from the Aftermath of the 2011 General Election * Shaapera, Simon Aondohemba 1 , Obadahun, Simon O. 2 and Alibaba, Abdulrahman 3 1 Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, PMB 5001, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria. 2 Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, PMB 5001, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria. 3 Lieutenant Officer, Nigerian Army-Bauchi Command. Abstract: This paper examines elections and the security challenges in Nigeria with a specific reference to the post-2011 electoral violence in the northern part of the country. The data for this paper are drawn mostly from the secondary sources while personal observation was employed to compliment findings from the literature. Systematically, the paper reviews the conceptions of electoral violence; perspectives on election- related violence and security of lives and property in Nigeria; lessons from the 2011 general election and the challenges ahead of 2015 election in Nigeria. The major findings of the paper reveal that from the 1950s, elections in Nigeria approximated a war that is often waged to determine political power. All weapons are always available for politicians in Nigeria to use religion, ethnic sentiments, out-right bribery, the power of incumbency, corruption, the abuse of electoral process, etc. to unleash violence and threaten the security of lives and property in the country in such a way that in such election-related crises, it is estimated that over 10,000 Nigerians have lost their lives, hundreds of thousands have been displaced while property worth billions of Naira have been destroyed due to election-related violence in the country. Consequently, the prevailing security challenges in the contemporary Nigeria have equally had some link to the hostile political atmosphere in Nigeria created by election-related conflicts. This paper recommends for tolerance to opposition in Nigeria’s political practices. Political power and positions in Nigeria should not be seen as open sources to wealth, which often leads to electoral contests as “win-or – die” affairs. Elections should not be “win-or-die” affairs in Nigeria. The imposition of candidates on the electorate in Nigeria during elections should also be discouraged, among others. Key Words: Election; Violence; Security Challenges; Killing of lives; Nigeria I. Introduction Elections are important element of democracy whereby the people choose their representatives in government periodically. However, in Nigeria, since the return to democracy in 1999 after prolonged years of military rule in the country, elections have rather created hostile and unstable political climate in the country. This is noticed in the intra and inter-party conflicts, election-related violence, and the devastating effect of “god- fatherism in the electoral process which combine to create security challenges in the country (Ogundiya and Baba, 2007:255). Election-related violence that has been gripping the Nigerian state since the country‟s return to democracy in 1999 and the aftermaths of the 2003, 2007 and the 2011 general elections have often posed great security challenges for Nigeria. Thus, Suberu (2002:457) concords that in such election related crises, it is estimated that over 10,000 Nigerians have lost their lives, hundreds of thousands have been displaced while property worth billions of Naira have been destroyed due to election-related violence in the country. Consequently, the prevailing security challenges in the contemporary Nigeria have equally had some link to the hostile political atmosphere in Nigeria created by election-related conflicts. II. Statement of the Problem This paper examines elections and the security challenges in Nigeria with a specific focus on the post- 2011 electoral violence in the northern part of the country. Systematically, the paper is sub-divided into seven different sub-themes, viz the introduction; statement of the problem; literature review on conceptions of electoral violence; perspectives on election-related violence and security challenges in Nigeria; Lessons from the 2011 general election in Nigeria; the challenges ahead of 2015 election in Nigeria; conclusion and policy recommendations.