CHAPTER ONE

1.1       GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Voting Behaviour is a form of political Behaviour. Therefore, understanding voters

Behaviour can explain how and why decisions were made. Either by public decisions-makers,

which has been the central concern for political scientist or electorate. To interpret voting

Behaviour, both political science and psychology expertise where necessary, and therefore

the field of political psychology emerged. Political psychology researchers study ways in

which effective influences may help. Voters more informed voting choices, with some

proposing that effects, may explain how the electorates makes informed political choices,

inspite of low overall levels of political attentiveness and sophistication.

To make inferences and predictions about Behaviour concerning a voting decision,

certain factors are said to influence voters Behaviour. Such as:- culture religion, public

influences include:- the role of emotions, political socialization, tolerance of diversity of

political views and media etc. the effect of these influences on voting Behaviour is best

understood through theories on the formation of attitudes, beliefs, schema, knowledge

structures and their practice of information processing. For example, research from different

countries indicates that people are generally happier in individualistic cultures where they

have right, such as right to vote. The degree to which voting decisions is affected by internal

processing system of political information, and external influence alters the quality of making

truly democratic decisions. A voting which is derived devoid of sentimental, be it primordial

centrifugal or centripetal forces. Ogundiya (2003).

With the Nigeria, evidence abound in the literature that at least up to the decades of

independence, voting Behaviour was not guided by ideology, party programmes or merit of

those standing top be elected, but by political calculus of ethnic geo-politics, religious

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bigotry, out right bribery, power of incumbency, abuse of electoral process, corruption etc.

Ogundiya (2003).

In Kaduna state, with the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Kaduna state

independent electoral commission (KAD-SIECOM) was established in accordance with the

provisions of section 197 (1) (b) of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria

which is charged with the responsibility of organizing and conducting elections for local

government council in the state. The commission receives support and cooperation from

security agencies and civil society. From the inception, KAD-SIECOM has conducted three

different local government council election in all of the 23 local governments of the state.

The first exercise, was conducted in 2004, 6 years after the independent national electoral

commission organized one in December 1998. Subsequent elections of 2007 and 2012 had a

time lag of 3 and 5 years respectively.

Voting Behaviour lire any other human Behaviour can be impacted by a number of

factors, which may be internal or external, short-term or long-term. Therefore, Sabon-Gari

local government area of Kaduna state has been either directly or indirectly influenced by the

factors in their environment.

In this research work, we intends to study the factors that influence voters Behaviour

and its various manifestations in the Sabon-Gari local government in the 2012 local

government election. This work will be done through relevant data acquisition and analysis.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE RESEARACH PROBLEM

This research has examined the factors that influenced voters Behaviour in the 2012

local government election of Sabon-Gari local government area of Kaduna state. As, such the

research work, will attempt to address questions such as:-

i.      What are the factors that possibly influenced voters Behaviour during the 2012

Sabon-Gari local government election?

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ii.      How does these factors influenced voters Behaviour in the 2012 Sabon-Gari local

government election?

iii.      What is the impact of such influences on both the voters and the political process of

election?

1.3       OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objectives of the study is to examine the factors that influence voters

Behaviour in the last Sabon-Gari local government election, that was conducted in December,

2012 objective of the study include:-

i.      To analyze how these factors influenced voters Behaviour in the 2012 Sabon-Gari

local government election.

ii.      To explain the relationship between such factors and the candidates for elective

offices.

iii.      To identify the possible influences of other factors

iv.      To prefer effective solutions to the possible threats that are arising from the influences

on voters Behaviour.