IGWEBUIKE: African Journal of Arts and Humanities

Ethno-religious politics remains a significant feature of political mobilization and electoral behaviour in Nigeria, with important implications for the legitimacy and credibility of democratic institutions. This study examines the relationship between ethno-religious politics and electoral legitimacy in Nigeria from an institutional perspective, focusing on how the politicization of ethnic and religious identities interacts with institutional weaknesses to undermine public confidence in electoral processes and outcomes. The study is concerned particularly with the instrumentalization of identity by political elites, institutional deficits in electoral governance, and the resulting challenges to transparency, accountability, political participation, and public trust. It addresses three central questions: How does ethno-religious politics affect electoral legitimacy in Nigeria? What institutional weaknesses contribute to the persistence of legitimacy deficits within the electoral process? What institutional mechanisms can strengthen electoral legitimacy in a context of deep ethno-religious pluralism? Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative approach, combining critical discourse analysis of relevant political texts with key informant interviews involving actors within electoral institutions, civil society, and political organizations across different regions of Nigeria. The study moves beyond approaches that primarily conceptualize ethno-religious politics as a sociological phenomenon by examining the institutional structures and governance mechanisms through which identity-based political mobilization influences electoral legitimacy. The findings indicate that electoral distrust is reinforced not by socio-cultural diversity in itself, but by institutional weaknesses, perceived exclusion, inadequate transparency, and inconsistent enforcement of electoral standards. The study argues that strengthening electoral legitimacy requires institutional reforms that promote neutrality, accountability, transparency, inclusion, and civic-based political participation while limiting the capacity of political actors to exploit ethno-religious identities for electoral advantage.

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