The Strength of Ethnicity in Voting Behaviour in the 2015 Presidential Elections in Nigeria: The Case of Ibadan, Oyo State

Abstract

The resurgence of voting pattern along ethnic identities during the 2015 presidential election never took an average Nigerian
by surprise. The nature of Nigerian politics has always been premised on primordial factors that keep defining who gets what,
how and when. The paper examines the ethnic colouration in the voting pattern of Nigerians during the election. The paper
employs primordial theory of ethnicity to explain the strength of ethnicity in voting behaviour. The paper exploits qualitative
and quantitative components comprising questionnaire and content analysis of two dailies and review of literature as
secondary data. A sample size of one hundred respondents in Ibadan, Oyo State was analyzed on the considerations such as
ethnic identities: language, religion, region, and custom among those that participated during campaign, those that voted and
those that served as INEC officials. The findings showed that 86.4% of the respondents with Hausa ethnic identity and 72%
of the respondents with Igbo background agreed that some variables such as ethnicity and religion were strong factors that
influenced their voting behaviour in the election.