Politics of Gagging of Opposition in Nigeria: Issues on the Restriction of Political Campaign in Public Spaces against General Elections

This study X-rayed the politics of gagging of opposition in Nigeria, considering the issues on the restriction of a political campaign in public spaces against the general election. Objectives of the study are to identify the impact of the gagging of opposition on the electoral process and the effect of ruling party disturbance on the use of public spaces that affected the democratization process of Nigeria. Documentary method of data collection, content analysis and ex-post facto research design was employed in this context. Finally it was discovered that political gagging of opposition has a negative effect on the electoral process and the disturbance caused by the ruling party on the use of public spaces has an adverse effect on the democratization process of Nigeria. It therefore recommended that a legal framework should be used to guarantee equal access to the public spaces for all political parties during campaigns and Human Right Agency in Nigeria should be employed to wall off every form of political gagging of opposition parties.