Birds of a Feather: Regionalism and Religion in the Nigeria's 2023 General Elections

The role of regionalism and religion in Nigeria's governance is significant, particularly in party formations and participation. These sentiments have been partially linked to various challenges confronting the country. The 2023 general elections in Nigeria saw an increase in the influence of regional and religious alliances, which were believed to be connected to the state of insecurity. This study, using secondary sources of data, examines the causes, manifestations, and consequences of regionalism and religion in the 2023 general elections to provide recommendations to address identified challenges. The study used a descriptive qualitative method and found that factors such as increased insecurity, high rate of kidnappings and killings, rumors of an "Islamization agenda," and biased appointments contributed to the consideration of regional and religious factors during the elections. The study also identified leadership failure, inequality, infrastructural deficits, and corruption as the effects of these factors in Nigeria. Finally, the study recommends the selection of leaders based on patriotism and merit, as well as the use of religion to establish social standards that benefit everyone.