YOUTH AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 2019 AND 2023 GENERAL ELECTION

Youth participation in political violence remains a persistent threat to democratic consolidation in Nigeria, particularly during election period. This study investigated the extent, causes, and patterns of youth involvement in political violence and thuggery in South-West Nigeria, with a comparative analysis of the 2019 and 2023 general elections. The broad objective was to examine how and why young people engage in political violence across two successive electoral periods in the region. The study adopted a comparative case study design, using secondary sources of data, including analysis of election-related violence reports and so on. The research found out that youth involvement in political thuggery remained widespread in both elections, with notable similarities in methods of violence, such as ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and the use of cult groups, but an increase in digital mobilization and targeted ethnic-based violence in 2023. Contributing factors included unemployment, political manipulation by elites, poverty, and exclusion from formal political structures. The findings revealed that despite increased youth political awareness and turnout in 2023, systemic frustrations continued to make youths vulnerable tools in the hands of desperate politicians. The study concluded that without addressing the root causes of youth disenfranchisement and impunity for political violence, elections in Nigeria will remain volatile, and democratic development in the region will be continually undermined.