Nigerian Presidential Election: Incumbent hands over power for first time in history

[removeduser_487563287433]

Nigeria has a bit of a place in my heart and I was very disappointed to have such an important event represented by such a sub-par thread, so I am creating my own.

Yesterday Nigeria achieved three huge milestones: it ran a Presidential election that has been broadly described as free and fair by observors (although with the caveat that there is some reported corruption), that the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated, and that he willingly handed over power, conceeded defeat, and congratulated his opponent, Muhammed Buhari. Buhari for his part has called Jonathan a "hero" for handing over power, and has warned his supporters to celebrate soberly, and that anybody who attacks a Jonathan supporter is not a supporter of himself.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32139858

Nigeria is probably the most important country in Africa. It has the largest population in Africa (and 7th in the world!), that population is young, it has huge reserves of natural resources, Lagos, it's commercial capital is the largest sub-Saharan city and a huge business and tech hub for the continent.

It also faces some huge problems. It is the scene of Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency. It has huge disparities in public services and the distribution of the country's growing wealth. Corruption is a massive problem.

In that context it's clear why the former military ruler Buhari is an attractive prospect for the 25% of Nigerians who voted for him. Jonathan's Government has had recent success against Boko Haram but after years of little quantitative results and embarrassingly for the gigantic Nigeria, the current campaign kicked off by relatively weak Chad, it wasn't enough to convince Nigerians. Buhari is also seen as incorruptible. His human rights record during his military leadership, however, is poor.

On balance - it looks good. Democracy is deepening in Nigeria against a backdrop of serious challenges and that can only be praised.

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ent-cries-foul

Apparently the winner is the leader of the opposition and ex-dictator Buhari who is a muslim while the party of Goodluck Jonathan comes second. There are signs that Jonathans government will reject the results. Nigeria is an overpopulated country with 180 million people. There are countless sectarian divisions inside the country and the most important is the division between the Muslim north and the christian south. Any kind of political turbulance has automatically serious concequenses

Similar threads merged. - Aikanár

[Condottiere 40K]

2294
It may not be up to him, as to whether he goes peacefully, but everyone else on the gravy train. Any successor may have to strike a bargain with them first.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

The reformists of the All Progressives Congress have claimed victory http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/0...135603507.html
This means Buhari has the won the Presidency, but it may mean a slight move to the left (at least in rhetoric) over his past policies, since he's being backed by less ossified forces. He's not known for being a man with any fixed principals, and the public opposition to Boko Haram might influence what steps he takes as well.

[hellheaven1987]

Na, the challenge is whether Buhari can work with Christian south (which may mean work with Jonathan) and make sure wealth in south move into north; I still think it is more possible the boat got rammed than any other outcome in next few years though.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Na, the challenge is whether Buhari can work with Christian south (which may mean work with Jonathan) and make sure wealth in south move into north; I still think it is more possible the boat got rammed than any other outcome in next few years though.

Far too simplistic a comment.

[Roma_Victrix]

This is great news for Nigeria. In fact it's also great news for the world in that it illuminates how democracy is still on the forward march.

[hellheaven1987]

I am not sure what you mean since your map shows Jonathan's party still enjoys high support in Niger Delta, the pretty much sole economic pillar of Nigeria. Hopefully Lagos can play a balance role, although hope is always the first step towards disappointment.

[removeduser_487563287433]

I am not sure what you mean since your map shows Jonathan's party still enjoys high support in Niger Delta, the pretty much sole economic pillar of Nigeria. Hopefully Lagos can play a balance role, although hope is always the first step towards disappointment.

Again, far too simplistic. The Niger delta is the centre of Nigeria's oil industry but reducing Lagos, Africa's largest city outside of Cairo, to a "balance" shows not much sophisticated knowledge of Nigeria. Lagos is a diverse and growing beast.

You are trying to divide this election as Christians v Muslims and that doesn't work.

[hellheaven1987]

You are trying to divide this election as Christians v Muslims and that doesn't work.

I am trying to divide this election into regions that control 70% national export vs rest of regions; religion only becomes an issue because majority in Niger Delta is Christian.

[removeduser_487563287433]

I am trying to divide this election into regions that control 70% national export vs rest of regions; religion only becomes an issue because majority in Niger Delta is Christian.

In a country with an Islamist insurgency, an almost 50/50 divide between Islam and Christianity, and a constitution of power sharing between those communities, that is totally wrong, of course.

I'm not convinced you know what you're talking about, hellheaven.

[hellheaven1987]

In a country with an Islamist insurgency, an almost 50/50 divide between Islam and Christianity, and a constitution of power sharing between those communities, that is totally wrong, of course.

I'm not convinced you know what you're talking about, hellheaven.

Did constitution also mentions Niger Delta needs to equally redistribute the 70% national wealth it hold to other regions?

[LordTemplar]

I am not sure what you mean since your map shows Jonathan's party still enjoys high support in Niger Delta, the pretty much sole economic pillar of Nigeria. Hopefully Lagos can play a balance role, although hope is always the first step towards disappointment.

Well, that region once tried to separate (Biafra), Buhari was a general at that time so that's probably why the people there don't like him.

[Heinz Guderian]

I hope Mohammed will stand up to Big Oil more than Goodluck. They need Big Oil, but i hope they dont give them a free pass to do anything they like.

[Yayattasa]

As I previously said, the cycle is moving on as planned (a christian president, then a muslim, then a christian, then a muslim, ...). That cycle was broken when Umaru Musa Yar'Adua died and GL Jho was elected instead.

The christian population will actively promote the muslim candidate to keep the country stable.

Everything would be easier if the country was split along the north/south religious divide, but it won't happen and Nigerians fear Chinese capital would leave the country.

[Condottiere 40K]

4890
Corruption seems inherent in Nigeria, and Goodluck had a demonstratively poor record in combatting it.

Nigeria seemed to punching way below it's actual weight, and the falling oil price will effect the next regime's capability to deal with the problems that beset the country and the expectations of the electorate.

[classical_hero]

Let's see what happens in Nigeria. No matter who is in charge it is a difficult situation.

[Aikanár]

Similar threads merged.

[Caelifer_1991]

With any luck the ruling party will accept the results gracefully; there was a line in an article stating that Goodluck Jonathan would be the first incumbent president in Nigeria to complete his term by being voted out of office... my immediate reaction is to say that that is not a bad thing at all... something to be proud of if anything given what it means in terms of personal integrity and solidification of democracy in Nigeria.