Jump to content

2015 Nigerian general election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2015 Nigerian general election

28–29 March 2015
Presidential election
← 2011
2019 →

68,833,476 registered voters[1]
At least 25% of the vote in 2/3 of states + majority of votes needed to win
Turnout43.65%[2] (Decrease10.03pp)
 
Nominee Muhammadu Buhari Goodluck Jonathan
Party APC PDP
Running mate Yemi Osinbajo Namadi Sambo
States carried 21 15 + FCT
Popular vote 15,424,921 12,853,162
Percentage 53.96% 44.96%

States won by Jonathan (in green) and Buhari (blue)

President before election

Goodluck Jonathan
PDP

Elected President

Muhammadu Buhari
APC

General elections were held in Nigeria on 28 and 29 March 2015, the fifth quadrennial election to be held since the end of military rule in 1999.[3] Voters elected the President and members to the House of Representatives and the Senate. The incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, sought his second and final term.

The elections were first scheduled to be held on 14 February 2015. However, the electoral commission postponed it by six weeks to 28 March, mainly due to the poor distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, and also to curb ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in certain north-eastern states.[4] The government closed its land and sea borders from midnight on 25 March until the end of the polling date.[5] The election was extended to 29 March due to delays and technical problems with the biometric card readers.[6]

It was the most expensive election ever to be held on the African continent.[7] Nigeria is the continent's most populous country, has the largest economy and is its leading oil producer. Opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election by more than 2.5 million votes.[8] Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat on 31 March, before the results from all 36 states had been announced.[9] The election marked the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election in Nigeria. The President-elect was sworn in on 29 May 2015, marking the first time since Nigeria gained independence in 1960 that a sitting government peacefully transferred power to an elected member of the opposition. Buhari flipped many states that had voted PDP in the previous election.

Presidential election

[edit]

Article 134 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution stipulates that a presidential candidate will be duly elected after attaining both the highest number of votes cast, and having received at least a quarter of the votes at each of at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). If no candidate satisfies the requirement, a second election will be held between the two leading candidates within seven days from the pronouncement of the result.[10]

Party primaries

[edit]

People's Democratic Party

[edit]

It had long been assumed that incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan would run for re-election, as despite declining approval ratings, he was still thought to be popular and had several high-profile supporters.[11] Jonathan officially confirmed his candidacy on 11 November at a rally in Abuja, announcing to cheering supporters:[12]

After seeking the face of God, and in the quiet of my family, and after listening to the clarion call of Nigerians, I have accepted to present myself to serve a second term.

Jonathan ran unopposed in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) primaries on 10 December 2014, receiving the nomination of the party. However, this was against an unwritten rule that the PDP's presidential candidacy should alternate between Muslim northerners and Christian southerners, and opposition to Jonathan's candidacy had led to the defection of dozens of PDP MPs in the House of Representatives.[13]

All Progressives Congress

[edit]

Prior to the elections,[when?] the All Progressives Congress was formed as an alliance of four opposition parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance.[14]

Its primaries, also held on 10 December, were won by retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari,[13][15][16][17] who defeated Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and newspaper editor Sam Nda-Isaiah.[18] On 17 December, APC chose Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate of General M. Buhari.[19][20][21][22]

As of February 2015, "Though the APC's voter base is in the north, it enjoys support all over the country, unlike the opposition in 2011."[23]

Candidate Votes %
Muhammadu Buhari 3,430 57.2
Rabiu Kwankwaso 974 16.3
Atiku Abubakar 954 15.9
Rochas Okorocha 400 10.4
Sam Nda-Isaiah 10 0.2
Total 5,992 100
Source: Nigerian Eye

Presidential debate

[edit]

A presidential and vice-presidential debate was conducted by the Nigerian media with majority of the candidates attending. The debate was attended by the then incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan, and his vice Namadi Sambo, while as predicted, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari boycotted the debate while his vice-presidential nominee attended.[24][25][26] The debate which lasted for approximately an hour was watched by over 20 million people in Nigeria, with radios and the Internet conveying through other means.[citation needed]

Candidates

[edit]

Fourteen candidates contested the election.[27]

The main opposition Goodluck Jonathan faced was from Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. While inaugurating a 250-bed Orthopaedic Hospital in Wamakko, Buhari said: "We will stop corruption and make the ordinary people, the weak and the vulnerable our top priority".[28]

General Muhammadu Buhari holding a broom at a campaign rally.
Nominee Running mate Party Acronym
Allagoa Chinedu Arabamhen Mary Peoples Party of Nigeria PPN
Ambrose Albert Owuru[29] Haruna Shaba Hope Party HOPE
Adebayo Musa Ayeni[29] Anthony Ologbosere African Peoples Alliance APA
Chekwas Okorie[29] Bello Umar United Progressive Party UPP
Comfort Oluremi Sonaiya[29] Seidu Bobboi KOWA Party KOWA
Ganiyu Galadima[29] Ojengbede Farida Allied Congress Party of Nigeria ACPN
Godson Okoye[29] Haruna Adamu United Democratic Party UDP
Goodluck Jonathan[29] Namadi Sambo People's Democratic Party PDP
Mani Ahmad Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue African Democratic Congress ADC
Martin Onovo[29] Ibrahim Mohammed National Conscience Party NCP
Muhammadu Buhari[29] Yemi Osinbajo All Progressives Congress APC
Rufus Salawu[29] Akuchie Cliff Alliance for Democracy AD
Sam Eke[29] Hassana Hassan Citizens Popular Party CPP
Tunde Anifowose-Kelani[29] Ishaka Ofemile Accord Alliance AA

Conduct

[edit]

After a botched governor's election in Anambra State, there were serious concerns that the election would not go smoothly. The country's election commission had promised a better election process, hoping that combating electoral fraud would prevent the violence that had plagued previous Nigerian elections.[11] Despite this, a pre-election poll by Gallup noted that only 13% of Nigerians had confidence in the honesty of elections.[30]

The Socialist Party of Nigeria filed for registration as a political party to contest the election, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused the registration. The SPN sued the INEC at the Federal High Court, claiming that INEC had failed to respond to their petition within 30 days as prescribed by law and that thus it would have to be registered automatically.[31]

The presidential election was a trending topic in Nigeria on Twitter, one social media platform reflecting public opinion; although PDP/GEJ may simply have had better support on social media, which is not representative of the population as a whole. According to Impact Social, based on data from 40,000 tweets, Facebook messages, blogs, and other internet outlets that mention PDP or GEJ, 70% of public opinion toward President Jonathan is positive, but messaging on the economy has taken up 6% of election conversation and was seen as a key PDP strength. Social media support for Buhari/APC was a bit "noisier" without a single issue leveraged by the campaign to gain traction: there was general frustration that the campaign lacked consistency, content and focus on the important issues at hand.[32] Social media also played a vital role in serving as a watchdog for the integrity of the election process, as results from polling stations were quickly posted, thus preventing electoral officials from announcing different results from the ones already publicised online.[33]

In January 2015, the #bringbackourgirls campaign raised alarm over plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude Chibok and some communities currently under the control of the Boko Haram from getting the permanent voter cards (PVCs) for the February elections.[34] Jonathan's already controversial handling of the situation was exacerbated by the Twitter campaign that was launched in mid 2014, #BringBackJonathan2015, which was widely considered to be insensitive to the victims and their families. Jonathan eventually called for banners containing the hashtag to be taken down and asked for the hashtag to not be used.[35]

Postponement

[edit]

On 8 February 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that "presidential and national assembly elections will now hold on 28 March while the governorship and state assemblies election will take place on 11 April,[36]" mainly due to the poor distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, and also the security concerns related to the Boko Haram insurgency in certain north eastern states.

The postponement was called on the grounds of the INEC failing to deliver Permanent Voters' Cards to millions (around 34%) of voters – reportedly only around 45.1mn of 68.8mn registered voters had received PVC's. Additionally, on 5 February, the National Council of State (chaired by President Jonathan) told INEC that it had just launched a major, decisive offensive against Boko Haram for six weeks. Due to the assets and resources that would go into this offensive, the military would be unable to provide security and logistics support for elections. This is a disputable claim, since election security is the primary responsibility of not the military (which should only act as support) but the police and civil defence corps. There is speculation over whether or not the postponement was motivated by politics rather than security and has raised questions over the political neutrality of the military as well as the independence of INEC.[37]

[38] Sambo Dasuki, Nigerian national security advisor, told the commission "that operations against Boko Haram militants meant the military "will be unable to provide adequate security" for the 14 February vote."[39] "Seventeen out of the 28 registered political parties" supported postponing the elections; 12 opposed, "including the leading opposition party, All Progressives Congress".[40] By 30 January, "Boko Haram was in total occupation/complete control of 13 local governments (and other swathes of land) in Borno and 2 each in Yobe and Adamawa."[41] Critics of the postponement view it as a political move on behalf of GEJ/PDP rather than one made in the interest of national security. GEJ/PDP are losing traction due to gains by Boko Haram in January, economic strains from the slide in global oil price (Nigeria's key export), and GEJ/PDP's slow progress on fighting corruption and improving infrastructure. According to primaries in December 2014, Buhari/APC is viewed as more equipped to fight insecurity and corruption.

Critics have pointed out that even with the postponement, the Nigerian government is unlikely to re-establish control in all the affected areas by the date of the election. Distribution of the Permanent Voters' Card (PVC) has begun in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the three affected states. Estimates of the number of IDPs range from 868,235 to 1.5 million people and is not yet clear how successful efforts will be to organise elections under these circumstances.[41] Key Government officials in Nigeria are publicly stating their opposition to the postponement. Senator Chris Ngige, for example, has accused the PDP of pressuring INEC to postpone the general elections.[42]

US Secretary of State meeting the two leading candidates.

In addition to growing criticism within Nigeria, on 8 February Vanguard reported that "the United States said it was 'deeply disappointed' by the delay." US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had urged that elections be held on time, "[warned] the Nigerian government against using 'security concerns as a pretext for impeding the democratic process.'"[43] Additionally, the British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has revealed that he, too, is disgruntled by the news: "The security situation should not be used as a reason to deny the Nigerian people from exercising their democratic rights. It is vital that the elections are kept on track and held as soon as possible".[44] Deutsche Welle reported that "The postponement has been seen by critics as a ploy by President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to buy time to sway support from the popular main opposition candidate and former military dictator, Muhammadu Buhari."[39]

By 7 February 2015, threats of post-election violence from both sides remained a concern, given that hundreds of people died in the rioting that followed the 2011 Nigerian presidential election,[39] and rhetoric was running high. It was reported that "the Council of Imams and Ulamas in Kaduna State ... told the Niger Delta militants threatening chaos if President Goodluck Jonathan loses the presidential election that they stand to lose if there is a war."[45] The GMB Volunteers, a group described as a "frontline voluntary organization made up of professionals, ethnic and religious groups," has criticised hate advertisements directed against APC candidate General Muhammadu Buhari.[46]

On 9 February, although "Nigerian civil society" was "in uproar" over the postponement, the north east remained calm, and voters there appeared willing to wait.[47]

Groups such as the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) have "advised political parties to stop making hate speeches against opponents."[48]

The Nigeria Women Platform for Peaceful Election (NWPPE) is collaborating with United Nations Women to hold training sessions for journalists on gender-based violence and gender sensitive reporting. A "women situation room", similar to a "civil society situation room" is planned for monitoring violence against women during the elections.[49]

Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who has called the postponement "an obstruction of democracy", nonetheless released a statement saying "I charge Nigerians to be calm, non-violent and steadfast. We must be determined to make sure postponement does not demoralize or disenfranchise us. We must see this as a challenge for us to remain resolute in yearning for a new democratic government; one that will not see itself as above the people."[50]

On 31 January, a concert was held in Owerri, Imo State, as part of the RSVP concert series, urging young people to RSVP – Register, Select, Vote and Protect. "Register – pick your Permanent Voters' card-PVC, Select (select your candidates), and Vote – vote not Fight, and Protect – protect your mandate." A second RSVP concert was planned for Lagos on 8 February.[51]

The postponement was the topic of a Council on Foreign Relations online conference call with John Campbell on 28 February 2015.[52]

According to the Nigerian Constitution, the presidential election must be held by 28 April.[47] As Section 25 of the 2010 Electoral Act states, the date is to be no later than 30 days before the expiration of the previous office holder's term of office.[53]

Media support

[edit]

Buhari was supported by The Economist "with a heavy heart" as "the least awful" option; the newspaper was scathing about the repression and economic policy of Buhari's previous regime, but praised his subsequent adherence to democratic process, anti-corruption stance, and the legitimacy he held in the Muslim North as a stronger platform with which to combat Boko Haram.[54]

Voting day

[edit]

The website of the Independent National Electoral Commission was hacked on election day by a group calling itself the Nigerian Cyber Army.[55]

Extension

[edit]

Voting was extended due to technical problems with electronic card readers.[56] The technology was introduced to prevent voter fraud, but was opposed by President Goodluck Jonathan who called it a "huge national embarrassment" when problems caused a delay. President Jonathan himself failed to be accredited by the card reader, which was shown live on national television.[57]

Violence

[edit]

Boko Haram attempted to disrupt the election by attacking voting centres, killing 41 people.[58][59] An opposition politician, Umaru Ali, was gunned down in one attack.[60][61]

Peace initiatives

[edit]

The Jos Forum Inter-communal Dialogue Process was established to serve as a sustainable and impartial dialogue mechanism to be used by the communities to handle disputes.[62] In 2015, the Jos Peace Dialogue Forum has already served as a platform for various political parties to discuss challenges and commit to peaceful elections in 2015.[63]

President Buhari said that the election was not a do-or-die affair.[64]

Observers

[edit]

Election observer missions [EOM] were deployed from the African Union (AU), Commonwealth of Nations, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU); and were led by Amos Sawyer,[65] Bakili Muluzi,[66] John Kufuor,[67] and Santiago Fisas respectively.[68]

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the citizens and the government for conducting a peaceful and orderly election.[69] The AUEOM concluded that the elections were conducted in a "peaceful atmosphere" and met the "continental and regional principles of democratic elections".[65] ECOWAS EOM said that it met the "criteria of being free and transparent" despite "pockets of incidents and logistical challenges."[67] The Commonwealth EOM described the conduct as "generally peaceful and transparent."[70]

Opinion polls

[edit]
Poll source Date Sample size Undecided Buhari
APC
Jonathan
PDP
Notes
Sahara Reporters[71][72] 15 October 2014 15,435 N/A 79% 21% 24-hour online poll
Buildup Nigeria[71][73] 16 October 2014 26,595 2.29% 48.41% 49.3% The poll was conducted by Reno Omokri, who serves as President Jonathan's Special Assistant on New Media.[74]
Afrobarometer[75] 5–27 December 2014 2,400 11% 42% 42% Margin of error of +/-2%
Nigerian FM[76] 22 December 2014 54% 48%
WorldStage Newsonline[77] 27 March 2015 1,886 N/A 35.53% 64.48%
NigerianEye[78] 20 January 2015 7,043 N/A 72% 25% The remaining 3% voted for other candidates

Results

[edit]

President

[edit]
CandidateRunning matePartyVotes%
Muhammadu BuhariYemi OsinbajoAll Progressives Congress15,424,92153.96
Goodluck JonathanNamadi SamboPeople's Democratic Party12,853,16244.96
Adebayo AyeniAnthony OlogbosereAfrican Peoples Alliance53,5370.19
Ganiyu GaladimaOjengbede FaridaAllied Congress Party of Nigeria40,3110.14
Sam EkeHassana HassanCitizens Popular Party36,3000.13
Rufus SalauAkuchie CliffAlliance for Democracy30,6730.11
Mani AhmadObianuju Murphy-UzohueAfrican Democratic Congress29,6660.10
Allagoa ChineduArabamhen MaryPeoples Party of Nigeria24,4750.09
Martin OnovoIbrahim MohammedNational Conscience Party24,4550.09
Tunde Anifowose-KelaniIshaka OfemileAccord Alliance22,1250.08
Chekwas OkorieBello UmarUnited Progressive Party18,2200.06
Remi SonaiyaSeidu BobboiKOWA Party13,0760.05
Godson OkoyeHaruna AdamuUnited Democratic Party9,2080.03
Ambrose Albert OwuruHaruna ShabaHope Party7,4350.03
Total28,587,564100.00
Valid votes28,587,56497.13
Invalid/blank votes844,5192.87
Total votes29,432,083100.00
Registered voters/turnout67,422,00543.65
Source: INEC

By state

[edit]
State Buhari Jonathan Ayeni Galadima Eke Salau Ahmad Chinedu Onovo Kelani Okorie Sonaiya Okoye Owuru
Abia 13,394 368,303 2,766 2,194 1,046 448 569 424 745 315 330 173 213 125
Adamawa 374,701 251,664 1,549 1,166 819 595 1,012 1,163 1,212 495 334 752 289 267
Akwa Ibom 58,411 953,304 384 443 412 474 608 327 381 1,600 144 160 224 192
Anambra 17,926 660,762 2,303 1,259 1,279 475 534 537 887 547 1,121 311 286 357
Bauchi 931,598 86,085 964 232 391 173 189 128 207 131 37 128 29 46
Bayelsa 5,194 361,209 70 38 44 69 116 62 95 45 35 52 20 18
Benue 373,961 303,737 945 1,464 567 254 539 439 683 315 74 105 66 115
Borno 473,543 25,640 878 243 310 392 201 143 107 145 41 158 31 88
Cross River 28,368 414,863 532 514 381 709 749 864 930 279 1,487 312 289 237
Delta 48,910 1,211,405 478 916 813 735 888 393 670 1,473 261 311 354 166
Ebonyi 19,518 323,653 2,452 1,214 2,345 1,133 2,704 1,168 1,890 426 4,859 913 624 989
Edo 208,469 286,869 709 1,284 325 450 512 729 516 159 72 175 160 22
Ekiti 120,331 176,466 482 538 330 854 424 388 377 94 145 108 60 94
Enugu 14,157 553,003 715 479 237 269 478 407 761 441 290 203 1,623 110
Gombe 361,245 96,873 773 192 407 169 247 157 227 104 37 97 25 46
Imo 133,253 559,185 2,236 956 733 757 1,617 414 784 533 1,917 158 264 157
Jigawa 885,988 142,904 2,527 540 1,553 587 375 853 548 394 197 423 338 337
Kaduna 1,127,760 484,085 1,611 424 824 273 546 549 754 218 78 176 79 105
Kano 1,903,999 215,779 2,770 778 1,552 708 657 485 697 426 156 288 234 292
Katsina 1,345,441 98,937 1,671 402 976 283 498 254 330 183 72 215 117 47
Kebbi 567,883 100,972 2,685 361 1,794 450 472 547 519 214 238 448 207 213
Kogi 264,851 149,987 1,001 1,089 967 427 761 476 399 700 156 190 180 144
Kwara 302,146 132,602 1,165 817 910 520 438 325 394 248 102 214 81 118
Lagos 792,460 632,327 2,177 3,038 1,125 4,453 2,072 1,041 1,430 1,795 244 1,000 269 255
Nasarawa 236,838 273,460 310 95 131 74 105 164 222 40 33 48 23 4
Niger 657,678 149,222 2,006 441 1,264 403 614 449 550 307 118 305 116 198
Ogun 308,290 207,950 1,930 3,072 978 1,927 1,364 4,339 815 584 597 432 562 332
Ondo 299,889 251,368 1,139 2,406 1,012 1,237 1,227 734 846 386 221 223 184 184
Osun 383,603 249,929 1,306 1,731 1,029 1,667 937 599 767 377 159 255 124 132
Oyo 528,620 303,376 4,468 8,979 6,674 6,282 5,000 2,842 1,895 6,331 3,665 1,312 1,069 839
Plateau 429,140 549,615 618 391 237 279 406 554 693 178 29 138 54 56
Rivers 69,238 1,487,075 513 525 577 1,104 1,031 492 565 1,066 156 2,274 303 542
Sokoto 671,926 152,199 3,482 535 1,894 714 762 605 686 249 180 475 269 283
Taraba 261,326 310,800 1,306 811 1,033 586 320 680 876 962 439 153 224 161
Yobe 446,265 25,526 632 164 329 213 112 101 120 101 32 104 30 67
Zamfara 612,202 144,833 1,310 238 655 290 294 374 404 125 68 122 93 14
FCT 146,399 157,195 674 342 347 240 288 269 473 139 96 165 95 83
Total 15,424,921 12,853,162 53,537 40,311 36,300 30,673 29,666 24,475 24,455 22,125 18,220 13,076 9,208 7,435
Source: INEC

Senate

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
All Progressives Congress60+28
People's Democratic Party48–23
Vacant1
Total1090
Total votes29,432,083
Registered voters/turnout67,422,00543.65
Source: IPU

House of Representatives

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
All Progressives Congress212+77
People's Democratic Party140–63
All Progressives Grand Alliance5–2
Accord1–4
Labour Party1–7
Social Democratic Party10
Total3600
Total votes29,432,083
Registered voters/turnout67,422,00543.65
Source: IPU

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Publication of the Register of Voters for the 2015 General Elections" (PDF). Independent National Electoral Commission. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Voter turnout data for Nigeria". International IDEA. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. ^ Nigeria IFES.
  4. ^ "Nigeria delays elections over Boko Haram threat". Independent. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Citing security concerns, Nigeria closes border ahead of election". Aljazeera. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Nigeria election extended to Sunday after delays".
  7. ^ "Nigeria elections: Nation split in Jonathan-Buhari contest". BBC News. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  8. ^ Schneider, James (31 March 2015). "Buhari Wins, Jonathan concedes". NewAfrican. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  9. ^ "Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins". BBC News. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" (PDF). World Intellectual Property Organization. 1999. Article 134 (2). Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  11. ^ a b Diwomo, Dawn (14 February 2014). "What to Watch as Nigeria's 2015 Showdown Brews". Think Africa Press. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  12. ^ Felix Onuah (11 November 2014). "UPDATE 1-Nigeria's Jonathan seeks second term, vows to beat Boko Haram". Reuters. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  13. ^ a b Nigeria Election: Jonathan V. Muhammadu Buhari ABC News, 11 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Nigeria opposition parties merge". BBC News. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Buhari wins APC presidential primaries". Vanguard News. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  16. ^ Owete, Festus (11 December 2014). "Buhari wins APC presidential ticket - Premium Times Nigeria". Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  17. ^ Adoyi, Ali. "Buhari wins APC presidential primaries". Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  18. ^ Breaking News: Buhari wins APC Presidential Ticket with 3430 votes Nigerian Eye, 11 December 2014.
  19. ^ Thurston, Alexander. "Background to Nigeria's 2015 Elections" (PDF). Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Buhari formally presents Osinbajo as APC presidential running mate - Premium Times Nigeria". 17 December 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  21. ^ vanguard (17 December 2014). "Why I chose Osinbajo as running mate - BUHARI". Vanguard News. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  22. ^ eribake, akintayo (17 December 2014). "Meet Buhari's running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo". Vanguard News. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  23. ^ "John Campbell: CPM Update: Nigeria's 2015 Presidential Election: Contingency Planning Memorandum Update". Council on Foreign Relations. February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  24. ^ "PDP Dodging Debates - It is NOT A Case of Arrogance | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  25. ^ Abdulmalik, Abdulrahman (7 March 2015). "Nigeria does not deserve a 73-year old President – Namadi Sambo". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  26. ^ vanguard (19 March 2011). "NN24 Presidential debate: Why Jonathan won't participate". Vanguard News. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  27. ^ "INEC releases full list of Presidential aspirants". Pulse. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  28. ^ Bamidele, Yetunde. "APC Will End Corruption in Nigeria – Buhari". Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dele Fanimo and Laolu Adeyemi (27 March 2015). "Nigeria: 12 Candidates, One Nation, One President". allAfrica.com: TheGuardian. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  30. ^ Loschky, Jay (13 January 2015). Ahead of Poll, Few Nigerians Trust in Elections. Gallup World Polling.
  31. ^ "Socialist group sues INEC over failure to register party Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Punch. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  32. ^ "Social Media Analysis of the Nigerian Presidential Election". Crisis Group. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  33. ^ Mutsvairo, Bruce; Ragnedda, Massimo, eds. (20 May 2019). Mapping Digital Divide in Africa: A Mediated Analysis. Amsterdam University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctvh4zj72. ISBN 978-90-485-3822-5. JSTOR j.ctvh4zj72. S2CID 242779946.
  34. ^ Chika Mefor; Ejike Ejike (8 January 2015). "allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Elections – BBOG Group Raises the Alarm Over Plans to Exclude Chibok From Voting". Leadership (Abuja) - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  35. ^ Patel, Alpa (11 September 2014). "Nigeria election slogan hashtag sparks controversy". BBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  36. ^ Alechenu, John. "Nigeria elections postponed until 28 March". Africa – News and Analysis. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  37. ^ "Nigeria's Election a Perilous Postponement". Crisis Group. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  38. ^ Sani Tukur (7 February 2015). "Nigeria: INEC Postpones 2015 General Elections". Premium Times – AllAfrica. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  39. ^ a b c "Nigeria Plans to Postpone Elections Due to Lack of Security". Deutsche Welle - allAfrica.com. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  40. ^ Festus Owete (7 February 2015). "Nigeria: 17 Parties Demand Poll Shift At Meeting With INEC". Premium Times – AllAfrica. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  41. ^ a b Idayat Hassan (30 January 2015). "Nigeria Forum – IDPs, Boko Haram and Elections Likely to Be Settled By the Courts". African Arguments - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  42. ^ Eniathan-Matthews, Timothy (10 February 2015). "PDP pressured INEC to avoid defeat – Ngige". Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  43. ^ "Nigeria: Election Postponement – U.S. Deeply Disappointed – Kerry". Vanguard: allAfrica.com. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  44. ^ "West criticises Nigerian election delay". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  45. ^ Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (6 February 2015). "Nigeria: You Will Lose If There Is War, Clerics Tell Ex-Militants". Daily Trust - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  46. ^ Hussein Yahaya (9 February 2015). "Nigeria: 2015 – Group Decries Hate Adverts On Buhari". Daily Trust - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  47. ^ a b Obinna Anyadike (9 February 2015). "Nigeria's North Sanguine After Elections Postponed". IRIN - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  48. ^ Nasir Imam (6 February 2015). "Nigeria: NSRP Decries Hate Speech in Election Campaigns". Daily Trust - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  49. ^ Itunu Ajayi (9 February 2015). "Nigeria: Building Capacity to Protect Women Against Electoral Violence". The Guardian - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  50. ^ "allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Postponement of Elections, An Obstruction of Democracy by President Jonathan". Office of Senator Bukola Saraki (Ilorin). 9 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  51. ^ Open Society Initiative for West Africa (Dakar) (6 February 2015). "Nigeria: Driving Change Through the RSVP – Register, Select, Vote Not Fight, Protect Your Vote Concert". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  52. ^ "Audio: John Campbell on Security and Democratic Governance in Nigeria". Council on Foreign Relations. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  53. ^ "TIME TABLE AND SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS, 2015". Independent National Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  54. ^ "Nigeria's election: The least awful". The Economist. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  55. ^ "INEC website hacked". Premium Times. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  56. ^ "Nigeria election: Voting continues after extension". BBC. 28 March 2015.
  57. ^ "Jonathan failed card reader verification". 4 February 2015.[permanent dead link]
  58. ^ "Nigerian Elections Hit by Technical Glitches and Violence". Wall Street Journal. 28 March 2015.
  59. ^ "Voting extended as Nigeria election marred by violence". Aljazeera. 29 March 2015.
  60. ^ "Gunmen kill 15 in Nigeria during tense election". Reuters. 28 March 2015.
  61. ^ "Boko Haram kills 41, prevents hundreds voting in Nigeria". Associated Press. 28 March 2015. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  62. ^ "Jos Bombings: Terrorism cannot break us apart: Plateau residents". View Point Nigeria. 4 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  63. ^ "Plateau: Ethnic Communities, Stakeholders Pledge Violence-free Polls | Nigerian News from Leadership News". Nigerian News from Leadership News. Leadership. 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  64. ^ "2019: Election need not be do-or-die affair, says Buhari in New Year message". Punch Newspapers. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  65. ^ a b "Release of AUEOM Preliminary Statement on Nigeria Elections". African Union. 29 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  66. ^ "Nigeria elections 2015: arrival statement by Commonwealth Observer Group". TheCommonwealth. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  67. ^ a b "ECOWAS poll observation mission says Nigeria's 28 March elections free, transparent despite some hitches". ECOWAS. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  68. ^ "EU EOM Nigeria 2015". EU Election Observation Mission. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  69. ^ "Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the conduct of peaceful elections in Nigeria". New York: UN. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  70. ^ "Nigeria elections 2015: interim statement by Commonwealth Observer Group". Abuja: TheCommonwealth. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  71. ^ a b Tukur, Sani (18 October 2014). "2015 Election: Buhari leads Jonathan in poll organized by presidential aide". Premium Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  72. ^ "Sahara Reporters: 2015 Nigerian Election Poll". epoll.me. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  73. ^ "BuildUp Nigeria Poll: 2015 Presidential Elections". buildupnigeria.com. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  74. ^ Tukur, Sani (19 October 2015). "Presidential Aide Abruptly Closes Online Poll As Jonathan Marginally Overtakes Buhari". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  75. ^ "Nigeria heads for closest election on record, survey shows" (PDF) (Press release). Lagos: Afrobarometer. 27 January 2015. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  76. ^ "NFR Poll: Buhari Opens wide margin lead against Jonathan, the Osibanjo Factor". Nigerian FM. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  77. ^ "WorldStage hosts opinion poll on Jonathan, Buhari". /worldstagegroup.com. 18 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  78. ^ "NIGERIANEYE OPINION POLL: Who Will Win The February 14 Presidential Elections?". NigerianEya. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.