11. Nigeria's 2015 Elections: Lessons and Prospects for Democratic Consolidation
- Author:
- Nkwachukwu Orji
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Social Science Research Council
- Abstract:
- Despite widely held concerns about the likelihood of a destabilizing outcome, Nigeria suc- cessfully conducted its general elections on March 28 and April 11, 2015. The peaceful and positive result came to many as a surprise, considering the difficult political and secu- rity environment in which the elections were conducted. Five major obstacles had stood in the way of their going smoothly: the competing claims to the presidency by northern and southern politicians; a keenly contested campaign smeared by inflammatory messages; the grave security threat posed by the Boko Haram insurgency; allegations of politically motivated postponement of the elections; and gaps in electoral preparations. This briefing assesses Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, highlighting factors that enabled the country to avoid larger-scale violence and lessons that can be learned from its experience.
- Topic:
- Elections, Democracy, and Violence
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Nigeria