AN APPRAISAL OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS OF VOTING PATTERN IN THIRD WORLD COMMUNITIES

THE NIGERIAN CASE

Abstract

There is no gainsaying that credible elections constitute a major factor in democracy, the way election is conducted in a country determines to a great extent the level of political culture, political participation, voting pattern, and good governance in the country. This paper is an appraisal of the sociological factors of voting pattern in the third world communities with a special consideration to Nigeria. The paper is objectively guided to appraised socio-cultural factors that influence voting pattern in the study area. In exhuming these factors, the research adopted the participatory observation method and the use of secondary data to achieving the aim of the research. The research also discovered that religion and ethnic affinity had strongly influenced voting pattern in the study area. The paper do recommends that an informed political ethics or objective electoral act devoid of elitist interest be enacted so as to cope parochialism in the political culture of the third world communities.