Arguably, electioneering and party politics constitutes essential attributes of democracy, this is particularly because it usually involves the process of electing qualified members of society into various positions of authority. This study examined the impact electioneering and party politics and the development of Benue State– Nigeria, 2015-2023. Planned behavior, social judgement and social identity theories were adopted as the theoretical frameworks in this study. The study employed cross-sectional survey design with a sample size of 2137 respondents generated using the Bill (2004) sample size determination formula, the instrument for data collection was questionnaires and other secondary sources. The sample size of the study is 400 using Taro Yamane Formula, Purposive sampling method was adopted in order to solicit necessary information from respondents who are knowledgeable or familiar with the topical issue under discourse. Data was analysed using descriptive statistical tools such as frequency and simple percentages to analyze data. Findings however reveal that there exists a connection between electioneering, party politics and development, particularly in Benue State.it has been observed that the underdevelopment of the state is a result of the fact leadership plays the primary role of galvanizing available resources for the overall growth and development of the society. Thus, visionary and purposeful leadership is advocated as well as the institutionalization of decency and transparency in the democratic process.

Keywords: Electioneering, Party Politics, Political Development, Democratic Governance, Political Leadership, Electoral Democracy, Benue State, Nigeria.