An Overview of 2015 General Elections in Nigeria

Abstract

The attention of the global community will be on Nigeria because it is another electioneering period. Right from the pre-independence era, elections in Nigeria have been characterized by political violence; gross electoral malpractices; government’s interference; money politics and the use of ethno-religious identities in shaping the voting patterns of the electorates. Nigeria with a population of over 170 million is fragmented into diverse ethnic groups. The country was conceived by the British Colonialists and till date Nigerians are yet to see themselves as one entity. The results of the 1965 General Elections led to political upheaval that truncated the First Republic after the military organized a coup on January 15, 1966. The Second Republic came to an abrupt end after the military overthrew President Shehu Shagari few months after the 1983 elections. The historic June 12, 1993 election believed to have been won by late Business Mogul, MKO Abiola was considered by many observers as the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s political history. However, the election was infamously annulled by the military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida. The June 12 annulment shook the foundations of the country as the Babangida regime was forced out, the Interim National Government collapsed less than hundred days and the maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha stepped into power. Since the return to democracy in 1999, elections from the local to national levels suggest that Nigeria’s democratic system is still very weak going by the post-election violence that marred the 2011 elections. This research will give an in-depth analysis of the 2015 polls in Nigeria.