Nigerian Elections Yield Improvements, But Descend Into Violence
April 25, 2011
By: Randi Zung

On April 18, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan was declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election. BBC News reported that Jonathan received 59.6 percent of the votes, while Jonathan’s main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari, won 32.3 percent. Nuhu Ribadu, a former anti-corruption fighter, finished with 5.5 percent of the vote. The April 16 presidential election marks the first time Jonathan has ever won presidential office, as he first assumed office following the death of President Umaru Yar'Adua in May 2010. Jonathan previously held the position of the country’s vice-president, and he was later appointed Acting President after Yar'Adua took a lengthy medical leave of absence.  Yar'Adua originally took office in May 2007, following an election that was deemed fraudulent by the international community. The presidential election, which analysts say was largely free of electoral fraud, is one of the fairest polls that the country has ever held.

In a statement, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) said that the country’s parliamentary and presidential elections "represent a step forward from seriously flawed elections of the past." Specifically commenting on the conduct of the presidential election, NDI’s observer mission stated that the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted with “effective and committed leadership,” and praised the body for its improved transparency and credibility. Additionally, the NDI mission commended the conduct of “political parties and their supporters, security forces, citizen election observers and other civil society organizations, and voters themselves that contributed to the integrity of the two April polls.”

BBC News reported that the head African Union’s observer mission, former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, also gave a positive assessment of the presidential poll. Kufuor said, “Nigeria hasn't been served too well for decades electorally, but to our pleasant surprise we found the people of Nigeria generally are the security against this.”

Despite generally positive comments about the country’s presidential election, as well as its April 9 parliamentary election, the atmosphere in Nigeria quickly descended into violence. The New York Times reported that following the announcement of the election’s results, Buhari said he refused to accept the INEC’s tabulations. Buhari supporters later took to the streets in northern parts of the country and violently protested, including burning down buildings associated with Jonathan and his People’s Democratic Party. Commenting on the unrest, Balarabe Musa – a frequent critic of Nigeria’s ruling elite – said that the country’s electoral framework was flawed. Musa stated, “Nobody expected the election to be free, fair and peaceful, because the conditions for that don’t exist.”

According to Nigerian human rights groups, at least 500 people have died as a result of the post-election violence. Voice of America reported that a majority of the deaths have occurred in the northern part of the country between Buhari’s mainly Muslim supporters and Christians. The unrest comes just days before Nigeria’s gubernatorial elections, which are scheduled to take place later this week. According to Nigeria's Emergency Management Agency, more than 65,000 civilians have been displaced as a result of the fighting.

In a national address, BBC News reported that Jonathan condemned the post-election violence and called for an end to the “acts of mayhem,” stating, “Enough is enough.” Jonathan urged his supporters to refrain from further unrest and stated that all grievances should be dealt with by the courts.

Regarding the country’s parliamentary poll, NDI stated that it “provided a real opportunity for citizens to exercise their right to vote.” However, NDI did note that the poll had some serious flaws, which if unaddressed, could undermine the future credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process. NDI’s observer mission said irregularities included: “significantly late openings of polls; inaccurate, incomplete or missing voter lists; inconsistent application of procedures; underage voting; overcrowding of polling sites; lack of ballot secrecy; failure to post results at polling sites; and missing essential materials.”

For previous news on Nigeria, please see:
Nigeria’s 2011 Elections: Expectations and Preparations

Sources:
New York Times - Nigeria’s President Wins Election

NDI – Despite Problems, National Assembly Elections Give Nigerians a Real Chance to Vote, NDI Mission Finds

NDI – Nigerian Elections Hold the Promise of Setting New Integrity Standard, NDI Mission Finds

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