THE EFFECT OF CASHLESS POLICY ON PARTY SUCCESS IN THE 2023 ELECTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN BOGORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAUCHI STATE

ABSTRACT ThisstudyinvestigatestheeffectofthecashlesspolicyontheelectoralperformanceofthePeople’s DemocraticParty(PDP)duringthe2023generalelectionsinBogoroLocalGovernmentAreaof Bauchi State, Nigeria. The introduction of the cashless policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria significantlyinfluencedthedynamicsofpoliticalmobilizationandcampaignfinancing.Guidedby InstitutionalTheoryandSystemTheory,thestudyemployedaquantitativeresearchdesignwitha samplesizedeterminedusingKrejcieandMorgan’s(1970)formula.Datawerecollectedthrough questionnaires, interviews and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the cashless policy posed serious challenges to PDP’s campaign activities, particularly in mobilizing supporters, financing rallies, and distributing campaign materials. Respondents overwhelmingly indicated that limited access to physical cash restricted the party’s ability to operate effectively at the grassroots level, thereby affecting its electoral outcomes. The studyconcludesthatwhilethecashlesspolicywasintroducedtopromotetransparencyinfinancial transactions, its timing and implementation had unintended political implications. It is recommended that future monetary reforms becarefullyaligned with electoral timelines to avoid undermining democratic processes.