Nigeria’s March 2015 elections ushered in a historic moment—for the first time since the country gained independence 55 years ago, the opposition won a national election. The successful challenge came from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Given Nigeria’s history of electoral flaws and violence, as well as concerns that the military was growing impatient with civilian rule, the peaceful conduct of the elections proved an especially welcome surprise. With the emphasis having shifted from fear to hope, the elections have the potential to be politically transformative, even if the new government—which faces daunting problems—falls short of its supporters’ elevated expectations.
About the Authors
Peter M. Lewis
Peter M. Lewis is Dr. Warren Weinstein Associate Professor of African Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he also serves as director of the African Studies Program. Most recently, he is coeditor (with John W. Harbeson) of Coping with Crisis in African States (2016).
Darren Kew is associate professor and chair of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has served as an international observer during every Nigerian national election since 1999.
The failure of the elections has been partly mitigated by the hope of judicial review of electoral malfeasance, the stabilizing ingenuity of ethno-regional power-sharing, and renewed national discussions of electoral…
