Nigeria's 2019 general elections - a shattered hope?

• Published in: Round table (London) Vol. 109; no. 4; pp. 363 - 367
• Main Authors: Onapajo, Hakeem, Babalola, Dele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 03.07.2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Democratization; Election results; Elections; Morality; Political history; Political opposition; Political parties; Technology; Nigeria
• ISSN: 0035-8533; 1474-029X
• DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2020.1788765

Nigeria’s democratic journey reached another milestone following the successful completion of the general elections in 2019. Given the intense competition that surrounds elections in Nigeria, every electoral period generates fear of a possible large-scale conflict that may cause democratic breakdown or national disintegration. The fact that Nigeria successfully carried out the elections is a major achievement in its political history. Clearly, the 2019 elections were followed with great expectations because of the improvements recorded in the previous general elections in 2015. The 2015 elections generated positive perception of the electoral process for a number of reasons. For the first time in Nigeria’s electoral history, a winner emerged from the opposition party, and there was a successful alternation of power. The 2015 elections saw remarkable improvements in the incorporation of technology into the electoral process, which contributed to strengthening the integrity of the elections. Since 1999, after democratic transition, there was also a decline in election petitions that had become a common phenomenon after the announcement of election results. It was, therefore, not a surprise that international and local observers gave some positive assessments of the 2015 elections (Onapajo, 2015).