Party Politics, Electoral Violence and Dynamics of Peace Building in Africa.

Over the years, the absence of party ideology has impacted on the pre- and post-election outcomes with its attendant consequences on democratisation and peace building in Africa. The character of Africa, nay Nigerian state, unhealthy intra and inter party relations and partial attitudes of election management body undermines post-election peace building amidst democratisation. The study revisits the challenge of party politics, electoral violence and dynamics of peace building in Africa, and specifically in Nigeria. The study addresses this task, long recognised but relatively neglected in extant literature with a view to exploring the practical sagacity and dynamics of elections as mechanism for peace building and panacea to electoral violence. The study contends that the nature of party politics and its weak internal conflict resolution mechanism portends great danger for peace building and democratisation in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]