THE EFFECTS OF WITCHCRAFT PRACTICES ON THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN NIGERIA: A CASE OF ANAMBRA STATE

The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of witchcraft practices on the electoral process in Nigeria, with a case of Anambra State. The specific objectives were to explore the nature of witchcraft practices used by politicians during electoral process in Anambra State, Nigeria and to determine reasons for using witchcraft during elections among the politicians in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The study’s target population was the electorate and elected leaders drawn from Anambra State in Nigeria. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview guides while data was analyzed qualitatively in order to draw meanings and themes from the responses. The study concluded that despite the negative perception of witchcraft practices in the society, many politicians of diverse faith inclination do sometimes employ witchcraft in their electioneering process for varied reasons. The study recommended that there was an urgent need for an ongoing engagement by various stakeholders in Nigeria and beyond, to review and map up transformative strategies of addressing the issue of witchcraft before, during and after election in order to breed an egalitarian society and culture. Key Words: Witchcraft Practices, Elections CITATION: Ekwem, E., Nalugala, R., \u0026 Okiya, D. O. (2020). The effects of witchcraft practices on the electoral process in Nigeria:  A case of Anambra State. The Strategic Journal of Business \u0026 Change Management , 7(3), 1471 – 1483.