Abstract:
This study addresses a paramount factor in the politics of Nigeria and Ghana, i.e., ethnicity and voting behaviour. It traced the incidence to the pre-independence era in both countries and explains its place in the formation of political parties and electoral processes. This study draws attention to how competition for national resources among the various ethnic groups and regions has led to power struggle. Although previous scholars have made immense and insightful contribution on the subject matter, none of these scholars did a comparative study on ethnicity and voting behavoiur of Nigeria and Ghana within the period specified. A gap was located which inform the research question: Did ethnic inclination impact on the voting behaviour of Nigerians and Ghanaians in the 2003/2007 and 2004/2008 general elections? Does uneven distribution of government appointments among ethnic groups influence the voting behaviour of Nigerians and Ghanaians in the 2003/2007 and 2004/2008 general election? Data collection was base on the observation of relevant documents while descriptive analysis was adopted. Ghanaian and Nigerian voters are aware of the fact that if political leaders of a particular party express disaffection towards their ethnic groups, then they do not expect to receive anything in terms of resource allocation; Clientelistic promises made by political leaders cause ethnic clustering and the division of society along ethnic lines; People tend to align themselves with a group that will provide them a stable means of access to resources that are beneficial to them.
