Elections in Nigeria: The Long Road to Democracy

In Nigeria’s 2015 election, Muhammadu Buhari defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, who accepted defeat and stood down - the first time that has happened in Nigeria’s history, and a landmark development in the country’s troubled progress towards sustainable democracy. How will the democratic process fare in 2019?Professor Shehu’s aim is to appraise the practice and progress of democracy in Nigeria and highlight some key issues that have driven electoral choices in the past or are likely to do so this time around. As he puts it, In Nigeria, experience has shown that whereas every politician seeking election claims to do so to serve the country, in reality most seek public office to serve their selfish interests rather than the national interest… Conducting an election is a routine activity, but conducting one with integrity is a function of true democracy.