MONEY POLITICS, POLITICAL INTIMIDATION, AND VOTER BEHAVIOR: EXAMINING THE 2026 APC PRIMARIES IN NASARAWA STATE
Keywords:
Money politics, political intimidation, voter behavior, APC primaries, Nasarawa State, internal party democracyAbstract
This paper analyzed the effect of money politics and political intimidation on voter behavior during the 2026 All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The objectives were to examine the manifestations of money politics and intimidation in the primaries, analyze their influence on voter choice, and assess their implications for party democracy. Employing qualitative content analysis, seventeen content units comprising media reports, political discourses, and social media discussions (Facebook) were examined using thematic coding framed by Elite Theory. Findings revealed that money politics remains entrenched in Nigeria's electoral architecture, manifesting through commercialized party processes, extortionate demands on aspirants, and manipulation of participation rules. Political intimidation emerged through threats, voter suppression, strategic exclusion, and voter list manipulation, representing severe infringements upon democratic participation and voter autonomy. These practices negatively affect internal party democracy, diminish merit-based candidate selection, undermine democratic consolidation, and erode public confidence in electoral institutions. The study recommends robust enforcement of electoral laws, enhanced transparency measures, and strengthened institutional oversight by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to safeguard electoral integrity.
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