The Impact of Ethnicity on Voting Behaviour in Enugu State

This study analyses the influence of ethnic identity on voting behaviour in Enugu State, drawing on electoral data and voter opinion surveys from the 2019 and 2023 general elections. Ethnicity has long been a significant determinant of political alignment in Nigeria, shaping party affiliations, candidate preferences, and the formation of political coalitions across the country. Using a descriptive survey design, the study gathers data from 380 registered voters in four senatorial districts across Enugu State through structured interviews. The social identity theory is applied as the theoretical anchor to explain how ethnic group membership shapes political perceptions and voting decisions. Findings indicate that ethnic considerations remain a primary driver of voting behaviour in Enugu State, with voters exhibiting strong preferences for candidates from their own ethnic or sub-ethnic communities, even when those candidates offer less credible development programmes. The study also finds that cross-ethnic voting is more likely to occur in urban constituencies with higher levels of education and economic diversity. The South East geopolitical zone, to which Enugu State belongs, has distinctive inter-ethnic dynamics shaped by post-civil war political history, and the study engages with this context in interpreting the findings. Recommendations include civic education campaigns that emphasise issues-based voting, as well as electoral reforms that reduce the incentive for ethnic mobilisation by political candidates. These interventions could gradually shift political culture towards more programmatic electoral competition. Keywords: ethnicity, voting behaviour, Enugu State, political alignment, ethnic identity