Political riots have remained one of the most persistent manifestations of political instability in Nigeria, shaping the country's governance, democratic development, social cohesion, and security landscape from the colonial era to the present day. Despite numerous scholarly studies on political violence and civil unrest, limited research has provided a comprehensive historical analysis that traces the evolution of political riots across successive political epochs while critically examining their long-term socio-political implications. This study analyses the evolution and socio-political impacts of political riots in Nigeria from the colonial period to contemporary times. The study adopts a qualitative historical research design based on documentary analysis of secondary sources, including academic literature, government publications, judicial commission reports, archival materials, newspapers, and reports from national and international organizations. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis and historical interpretation to identify recurring patterns, underlying causes, and the changing nature of political riots across different political administrations. The findings reveal that political riots in Nigeria have evolved from anti-colonial resistance movements during the colonial period to post-independence electoral violence, ethno-religious conflicts, military-era civil protests, resource-control agitations, and contemporary youth-led demonstrations. While political riots have contributed to democratic reforms, increased political awareness, and institutional accountability in certain instances, they have also generated significant socio-political consequences, including political instability, loss of lives and property, weakened public confidence in government institutions, disruption of economic activities, and threats to national unity. The study concludes that addressing the structural drivers of political riots requires inclusive governance, credible electoral processes, equitable socio-economic policies, strengthened democratic institutions, and effective conflict prevention mechanisms. The study contributes to historical and political science scholarship by providing an integrated analytical perspective on the continuity, transformation, and socio-political significance of political riots in Nigeria over more than a century.