2015 Nigerian general election

none August 2026 January 2020 Nigeria 2011 Nigerian general election 2011 28–29 March 2015 2019 Nigerian general election 2019 yes Presidential election presidential no 2011 Nigerian general election 2011 2019 Nigerian general election 2019 2015 Nigerian general election#Opinion polls 68,833,476http://www.inecnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/National-Publication-of-Register-of-Voters.pdf Publication of the Register of Voters for the 2015 General Elections 13 January 2015 Independent National Electoral Commission 12 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150404005842/http://www.inecnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/National-Publication-of-Register-of-Voters.pdf 4 April 2015 dead 43.65%Voter turnout data for Nigeria http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=NG International IDEA International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 28 April 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150505062611/http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=NG 5 May 2015 dmy-all (10.03pp) 25% in 2/3 States + Plurality Muhammadu Buhari - Chatham House cropped.jpg Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress Yemi Osinbajo 21 15,424,921 53.96% Goodluck Jonathan 2014.jpg Goodluck Jonathan Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) Namadi Sambo 15 + FCT 12,853,162 44.96% 2015 Nigerian presidential election results by state.svg President Goodluck Jonathan People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress 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.Nigeria IFES. 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.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigeria-delays-elections-over-boko-haram-threat-10030696.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigeria-delays-elections-over-boko-haram-threat-10030696.html 1 May 2022 subscription Nigeria delays elections over Boko Haram threat 7 February 2015 Independent 7 February 2015 The government closed its land and sea borders from midnight on 25 March until the end of the polling date.http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/25/citing-security-concerns-nigeria-to-close-borders-ahead-of-election.html Citing security concerns, Nigeria closes border ahead of election 25 March 2015 Aljazeera 30 March 2015 The election was extended to 29 March due to delays and technical problems with the biometric card readers.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32095283 Nigeria election extended to Sunday after delays It was the most expensive election ever to be held on the African continent.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32065808 Nigeria elections: Nation split in Jonathan-Buhari contest 26 March 2015 BBC News 30 March 2015 Opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election by more than 2.5 million votes.http://newafricanmagazine.com/buhari-wins/ Buhari Wins, Jonathan concedes Schneider James 31 March 2015 NewAfrican 31 March 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402165154/http://newafricanmagazine.com/buhari-wins/ 2 April 2015 dead dmy-all Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat on 31 March, before the results from all 36 states had been announced.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32139858 Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins 31 March 2015 BBC News 31 March 2015 This was 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.LeVan A. Carl https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781108560467/type/book Contemporary Nigerian Politics: Competition in a Time of Transition and Terror 2018-12-31 Cambridge University Press 978-1-108-56046-7 1-2 10.1017/9781108560467 Buhari flipped many states that had voted PDP in the previous election. Presidential election 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.https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/ng/ng014en.pdf Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Article 134 (2) World Intellectual Property Organization 29 January 2015 Party primaries People's Democratic Party 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. http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/2015-election-showdown-brews What to Watch as Nigeria's 2015 Showdown Brews Diwomo Dawn 14 February 2014 Think Africa Press 30 August 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140903070254/http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/2015-election-showdown-brews 3 September 2014 dmy-all Jonathan officially confirmed his candidacy on 11 November at a rally in Abuja, announcing to cheering supporters:http://uk.reuters.com/article/nigeria-politics-idUKL6N0T136F20141111 https://web.archive.org/web/20160128193358/http://uk.reuters.com/article/nigeria-politics-idUKL6N0T136F20141111 dead 28 January 2016 UPDATE 1-Nigeria's Jonathan seeks second term, vows to beat Boko Haram Reuters Felix Onuah 11 November 2014 11 November 2014After 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.Nigeria Election: Jonathan V. Muhammadu Buhari ABC News, 11 December 2014. All Progressives Congress Prior to the elections, in February 2013, 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.2013-02-07 Nigeria opposition parties merge en-GB BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21370540 2020-05-23 Its primaries, also held on 10 December, were won by retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari,https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/buhari-wins-apc-presidential-primaries/ Lagos, Nigeria Buhari wins APC presidential primaries 2014-12-11 Vanguard en-US 2020-03-12https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/173134-buhari-wins-apc-presidential-ticket.html Buhari wins APC presidential ticket Owete Festus 2014-12-11 en-GB 2020-03-12 Premium Timeshttps://dailypost.ng/2014/12/11/breaking-buhari-wins-apc-presidential-primaries/ Lagos, Nigeria Buhari wins APC presidential primaries Adoyi Ali en-US 2020-03-12 Daily Post who defeated Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and newspaper editor Sam Nda-Isaiah.Breaking News: Buhari wins APC Presidential Ticket with 3430 votes Nigerian Eye, 11 December 2014. On 17 December, APC chose Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate of General M. Buhari.Background to Nigeria's 2015 Elections https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/150126_Thurston_NigeriaElections_Web.pdf Thurston Alexander May 25, 2020Buhari formally presents Osinbajo as APC presidential running mate https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/173435-breaking-buhari-formally-presents-osibanjo-apc-presidential-running-mate.html 2014-12-17 en-GB 2020-05-30 Premium Timesvanguard 2014-12-17 Why I chose Osinbajo as running mate - BUHARI https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/chose-osinbajo-running-mate-buhari/ Lagos, Nigeria 2022-11-12 Vanguard en-GBeribake akintayo 2014-12-17 Meet Buhari's running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/meet-buharis-running-mate-prof-yemi-osibajo/ Lagos, Nigeria 2022-11-12 Vanguard en-GB 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." John Campbell: CPM Update: Nigeria's 2015 Presidential Election: Contingency Planning Memorandum Update Council on Foreign Relations 16 March 2015 February 2015 http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigerias-2015-presidential-election/p36087 17 March 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150317061459/http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigerias-2015-presidential-election/p36087 dead CandidateVotes%Muhammadu Buhari3,43057.2Rabiu Kwankwaso97416.3Atiku Abubakar95415.9Rochas Okorocha40010.4Sam Nda-Isaiah100.2Total5,992100Source: Nigerian Eye Presidential debate 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.PDP Dodging Debates - It is NOT A Case of Arrogance Sahara Reporters https://saharareporters.com/2011/03/15/pdp-dodging-debates-it-not-case-arrogance 2022-11-12 saharareporters.comAbdulmalik Abdulrahman 2015-03-07 Nigeria does not deserve a 73-year old President – Namadi Sambo https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/178082-nigeria-does-not-deserve-a-73-year-old-president-namadi-sambo.html 2022-11-12 Premium Times en-GBvanguard 2011-03-19 NN24 Presidential debate: Why Jonathan won't participate https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/nn24-presidential-debate-why-jonathan-won’t-participate/ Lagos, Nigeria 2022-11-12 Vanguard en-GB 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.May 2020 Candidates Fourteen candidates contested the election.13 January 2015 INEC releases full list of Presidential aspirants https://pulse.ng/politics/2015-elections-inec-releases-full-list-of-presidential-aspirants-id3407228.html Pulse 21 January 2015 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".Bamidele Yetunde APC Will End Corruption in Nigeria – Buhari https://www.naij.com/293141-apc-will-end-corruption-nigeria-buhari.html 11 February 2015 thumb|General Muhammadu Buhari holding a broom at a campaign rally. Nominee Running mate Party Acronym Allagoa Chinedu Arabamhen Mary Peoples Party of NigeriaPPN Ambrose Albert Owuru Dele Fanimo and Laolu Adeyemi Nigeria: 12 Candidates, One Nation, One President allAfrica.com: TheGuardian 27 March 2015 27 March 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201503271149.html Haruna Shaba Hope PartyHOPE Adebayo Musa Ayeni Anthony Ologbosere African Peoples AllianceAPA Chekwas Okorie Bello Umar United Progressive PartyUPP Comfort Oluremi Sonaiya Seidu Bobboi KOWA PartyKOWA Ganiyu Galadima Ojengbede Farida Allied Congress Party of NigeriaACPN Godson Okoye Haruna Adamu United Democratic PartyUDP Goodluck Jonathan Namadi Sambo People's Democratic PartyPDP Mani Ahmad Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue African Democratic CongressADC Martin Onovo Ibrahim Mohammed National Conscience Party NCP Muhammadu Buhari Yemi Osinbajo All Progressives CongressAPC Rufus Salawu Akuchie Cliff Alliance for Democracy AD Sam Eke Hassana Hassan Citizens Popular PartyCPP Tunde Anifowose-Kelani Ishaka Ofemile Accord AllianceAA Conduct 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. Despite this, a pre-election poll by Gallup noted that only 13% of Nigerians had confidence in the honesty of elections.Loschky, Jay (13 January 2015). Ahead of Poll, Few Nigerians Trust in Elections. Gallup World Polling. 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."Socialist group sues INEC over failure to register party https://web.archive.org/web/20141129073041/http://www.punchng.com/news/socialist-group-sues-inec-for-failure-to-register-party/ 29 November 2014 . Punch. Retrieved 21 November 2014. 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.http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/social-media-analysis-of-the-nigerian-presidential-election-2015-/201282/ Social Media Analysis of the Nigerian Presidential Election 8 February 2015 12 February 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150212231307/http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/social-media-analysis-of-the-nigerian-presidential-election-2015-/201282 12 February 2015 dmy-all This Day 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.http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvh4zj72 Mapping Digital Divide in Africa: A Mediated Analysis 2019-05-20 Amsterdam University Press 978-90-485-3822-5 Mutsvairo Bruce 10.2307/j.ctvh4zj72 j.ctvh4zj72 242779946 Ragnedda Massimo 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. Chika Mefor Ejike Ejike allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Elections – BBOG Group Raises the Alarm Over Plans to Exclude Chibok From Voting Leadership (Abuja) - allAfrica.com 8 January 2015 8 January 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201501081376.html 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.Patel Alpa Nigeria election slogan hashtag sparks controversy https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29158670 12 February 2015 BBC News 11 September 2014 Postponement 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,Alechenu John Nigeria elections postponed until 28 March http://africajournalismtheworld.com/2015/02/08/nigeria-elections-postponed-until-28-march/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150210014607/http://africajournalismtheworld.com/2015/02/08/nigeria-elections-postponed-until-28-march/ usurped 10 February 2015 Africa – News and Analysis 9 February 2015" 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.http://blog.crisisgroup.org/africa/2015/02/12/nigerias-elections-a-perilous-postponement/ Nigeria's Election a Perilous Postponement 12 February 2015 Crisis Group 12 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150213022417/http://blog.crisisgroup.org/africa/2015/02/12/nigerias-elections-a-perilous-postponement/ 13 February 2015 dead dmy-all Sani Tukur Nigeria: INEC Postpones 2015 General Elections Premium Times – AllAfrica 8 February 2015 7 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502070325.html 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." Nigeria Plans to Postpone Elections Due to Lack of Security Deutsche Welle - allAfrica.com 8 February 2015 7 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502070324.html "Seventeen out of the 28 registered political parties" supported postponing the elections; 12 opposed, "including the leading opposition party, All Progressives Congress". Festus Owete Nigeria: 17 Parties Demand Poll Shift At Meeting With INEC Premium Times – AllAfrica 8 February 2015 7 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502070313.html 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." Idayat Hassan Nigeria Forum – IDPs, Boko Haram and Elections Likely to Be Settled By the Courts African Arguments - allAfrica.com 10 February 2015 30 January 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502021752.html 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. 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.Eniathan-Matthews Timothy PDP pressured INEC to avoid defeat – Ngige http://dailypost.ng/2015/02/10/pdp-pressured-inec-avoid-defeat-ngige/ Lagos, Nigeria 11 February 2015 10 February 2015 Daily Post right 320 vertical Secretary Kerry Meets With Nigerian Presidential Challenger Buhari For Conversation About Upcoming Election (16364324705).jpg US Secretary of State meeting the two leading candidates. Nigerian President Jonathan Greets Secretary Kerry Upon Arrival At State House in Lagos for Election Conversation (16177696837).jpg centre 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.'" Nigeria: Election Postponement – U.S. Deeply Disappointed – Kerry Vanguard: allAfrica.com 8 February 2015 8 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502080232.html 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".West criticises Nigerian election delay https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/nigeria-election-delay-west-us-uk www.theguardian.com 11 February 2015 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." 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, 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." Maryam Ahmadu-Suka Nigeria: You Will Lose If There Is War, Clerics Tell Ex-Militants Daily Trust - allAfrica.com 8 February 2015 6 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502061299.html 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. Hussein Yahaya Nigeria: 2015 – Group Decries Hate Adverts On Buhari Daily Trust - allAfrica.com 10 February 2015 9 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502092131.html 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. Obinna Anyadike Nigeria's North Sanguine After Elections Postponed IRIN - allAfrica.com 10 February 2015 9 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502092576.html Groups such as the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) have "advised political parties to stop making hate speeches against opponents." Nasir Imam Nigeria: NSRP Decries Hate Speech in Election Campaigns Daily Trust - allAfrica.com 8 February 2015 6 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502061298.html 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. Itunu Ajayi Nigeria: Building Capacity to Protect Women Against Electoral Violence The Guardian - allAfrica.com 10 February 2015 9 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502092081.html 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." allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Postponement of Elections, An Obstruction of Democracy by President Jonathan Office of Senator Bukola Saraki (Ilorin) 10 February 2015 9 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502092877.html 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. Open Society Initiative for West Africa (Dakar) Nigeria: Driving Change Through the RSVP – Register, Select, Vote Not Fight, Protect Your Vote Concert allAfrica.com 10 February 2015 6 February 2015 http://allafrica.com/stories/201502091760.html The postponement was the topic of a Council on Foreign Relations online conference call with John Campbell on 28 February 2015. Audio: John Campbell on Security and Democratic Governance in Nigeria Council on Foreign Relations 16 March 2015 26 February 2015 http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/security-democratic-governance-nigeria/p36183 https://web.archive.org/web/20150318192229/http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/security-democratic-governance-nigeria/p36183 18 March 2015 dead dmy-all According to the Nigerian Constitution, the presidential election must be held by 28 April. 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.TIME TABLE AND SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS, 2015 http://www.inecnigeria.org/?inecevents=time-table-and-schedule-of-activities-for-general-elections-2015-2 Independent National Electoral Commission 12 February 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140625080651/http://inecnigeria.org/?inecevents=time-table-and-schedule-of-activities-for-general-elections-2015-2 25 June 2014 dmy-all Media support 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.Nigeria's election: The least awful https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21642168-former-dictator-better-choice-failed-president-least-awful 20 February 2015 The Economist 7 February 2015 Voting day The website of the Independent National Electoral Commission was hacked on election day by a group calling itself the Nigerian Cyber Army.http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/179539-inec-website-hacked.html INEC website hacked 28 March 2015 Premium Times 30 March 2015 Extension Voting was extended due to technical problems with electronic card readers.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32103919 Nigeria election: Voting continues after extension BBC 28 March 2015 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.https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/embarrassing-president-jonathans-pvc-fails-to-be-read-in-bayelsa.109472/ Jonathan failed card reader verification 4 February 2015 Violence Boko Haram attempted to disrupt the election by attacking voting centres, killing 41 people.https://www.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-votes-in-presidential-election-1427531592 Nigerian Elections Hit by Technical Glitches and Violence Wall Street Journal 28 March 2015https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/03/millions-nigerians-vote-crunch-poll-150328122844145.html Voting extended as Nigeria election marred by violence Aljazeera 29 March 2015 An opposition politician, Umaru Ali, was gunned down in one attack.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-election-idUSKBN0MO00720150328 Gunmen kill 15 in Nigeria during tense election 28 March 2015 Reutershttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b27eebff6af4c26b5b606ddfba2256b/nigerians-turn-out-en-masse-critical-presidential-vote Boko Haram kills 41, prevents hundreds voting in Nigeria Associated Press 28 March 2015 29 March 2015 30 March 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150330173647/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b27eebff6af4c26b5b606ddfba2256b/nigerians-turn-out-en-masse-critical-presidential-vote dead Peace initiatives 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. Jos Bombings: Terrorism cannot break us apart: Plateau residents http://viewpointnigeria.com/jos-bombings-terrorism-cannot-break-us-apart-plateau-residents/ View Point Nigeria 19 October 2015 4 July 2014 5 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305163541/http://viewpointnigeria.com/jos-bombings-terrorism-cannot-break-us-apart-plateau-residents/ dead 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. Plateau: Ethnic Communities, Stakeholders Pledge Violence-free Polls Nigerian News from Leadership News http://leadership.ng/news/408415/plateau-ethnic-communities-stakeholders-pledge-violencefree-polls Nigerian News from Leadership News Leadership 19 October 2015 1 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150731004716/http://leadership.ng/news/408415/plateau-ethnic-communities-stakeholders-pledge-violencefree-polls 31 July 2015 dead dmy-all President Buhari said that the election was not a do-or-die affair.2018-12-31 2019: Election need not be do-or-die affair, says Buhari in New Year message https://punchng.com/2019-election-need-not-be-do-or-die-affair-says-buhari-in-new-year-message/ 2022-03-22 The Punch en-US Observers 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,http://pa.au.int/en/content/release-aueom-preliminary-statement-nigeria-elections Release of AUEOM Preliminary Statement on Nigeria Elections 29 March 2015 African Union 30 March 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154009/http://pa.au.int/en/content/release-aueom-preliminary-statement-nigeria-elections 2 April 2015 dmy-all Bakili Muluzi,http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/nigeria-elections-2015-arrival-statement-commonwealth-observer-group Nigeria elections 2015: arrival statement by Commonwealth Observer Group 23 March 2015 TheCommonwealth 30 March 2015 John Kufuor,http://www.ecowas.int/ecowas-poll-observation-mission-says-nigerias-march-28-elections-free-transparent-despite-some-hitches/ ECOWAS poll observation mission says Nigeria's 28 March elections free, transparent despite some hitches 30 March 2015 ECOWAS 30 March 2015 5 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150605062319/http://www.ecowas.int/ecowas-poll-observation-mission-says-nigerias-march-28-elections-free-transparent-despite-some-hitches/ dead and Santiago Fisas respectively.http://www.eueom.eu/nigeria2015%20/home EU EOM Nigeria 2015 EU Election Observation Mission 30 March 2015 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the citizens and the government for conducting a peaceful and orderly election.https://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8504 Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the conduct of peaceful elections in Nigeria New York 28 March 2015 UN 30 March 2015 The AUEOM concluded that the elections were conducted in a "peaceful atmosphere" and met the "continental and regional principles of democratic elections". ECOWAS EOM said that it met the "criteria of being free and transparent" despite "pockets of incidents and logistical challenges." The Commonwealth EOM described the conduct as "generally peaceful and transparent."http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/nigeria-elections-2015-interim-statement-commonwealth-observer-group Nigeria elections 2015: interim statement by Commonwealth Observer Group 30 March 2015 Abuja TheCommonwealth 31 March 2015 Opinion polls Poll sourceDate Sample sizeUndecidedBuhariAPCJonathanPDPNotesSahara ReportersTukur Sani 18 October 2014 2015 Election: Buhari leads Jonathan in poll organized by presidential aide http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/169737-2015-election-buhari-leads-jonathan-in-poll-organized-by-presidential-aide.html Premium Times 28 January 2015https://epoll.me/vote/ACRosLpAohI/sahara-reporters/if-the-2015-nigerian-presidential-election-were-held-today-with-president-jonathan-as-the-pdp-candidate-and-muhammadu-buhari-as-the-apc-candidate-who-do-you-think-would-win-why Sahara Reporters: 2015 Nigerian Election Poll epoll.me 28 January 2015 22 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222122402/https://epoll.me/vote/ACRosLpAohI/sahara-reporters/if-the-2015-nigerian-presidential-election-were-held-today-with-president-jonathan-as-the-pdp-candidate-and-muhammadu-buhari-as-the-apc-candidate-who-do-you-think-would-win-why dead 15 October 2014 15,435 N/A79% 21% 24-hour online pollBuildup Nigeriahttp://buildupnigeria.com/2014/10/16/buildup-nigeria-poll-2015-presidential-elections/ BuildUp Nigeria Poll: 2015 Presidential Elections 16 October 2014 buildupnigeria.com 28 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150203230435/http://buildupnigeria.com/2014/10/16/buildup-nigeria-poll-2015-presidential-elections/ 3 February 2015 dead dmy-all 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.https://saharareporters.com/2014/10/19/presidential-aide-abruptly-closes-online-poll-jonathan-marginally-overtakes-buhari New York City, United States Presidential Aide Abruptly Closes Online Poll As Jonathan Marginally Overtakes Buhari Tukur Sani 19 October 2015 28 January 2015 Sahara ReportersAfrobarometer27 January 2015 Nigeria heads for closest election on record, survey shows http://www.afrobarometer.org/files/documents/press_release/nig_r6_pr_elections.pdf Lagos Afrobarometer 37 28 January 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150216104300/http://www.afrobarometer.org/files/documents/press_release/nig_r6_pr_elections.pdf 16 February 2015 dmy-all 5–27 December 2014 2,400 11% 42% 42%Margin of error of +/-2% Nigerian FMhttp://www.nigerianfm.com/nfr-poll-buhari-opens-wide-margin-lead-against-jonathan-the-osibanjo-factor-vote-now-nigerians-overseas-not-eligible-day5/ NFR Poll: Buhari Opens wide margin lead against Jonathan, the Osibanjo Factor Nigerian FM 28 January 2015 10 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150210031401/http://www.nigerianfm.com/nfr-poll-buhari-opens-wide-margin-lead-against-jonathan-the-osibanjo-factor-vote-now-nigerians-overseas-not-eligible-day5/ dead 22 December 2014 54% 48% WorldStage Newsonlinehttp://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=20094&catid=2 WorldStage hosts opinion poll on Jonathan, Buhari 18 January 2015 /worldstagegroup.com 28 January 2015 2 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150502/http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=20094&catid=2 dead 27 March 2015 1,886 N/A 35.53% 64.48%NigerianEyehttps://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/01/nigerianeye-opinion-poll-who-will-win.html NIGERIANEYE OPINION POLL: Who Will Win The February 14 Presidential Elections? 20 January 2015 NigerianEya 28 January 2015 20 January 2015 7,043 N/A72% 25%The remaining 3% voted for other candidates Results President Muhammadu Buhari Yemi Osinbajo All Progressives Congress 15424921 Goodluck Jonathan Namadi Sambo People's Democratic Party 12853162 Adebayo Ayeni Anthony Ologbosere African Peoples Alliance 53537 Ganiyu Galadima Ojengbede Farida Allied Congress Party of Nigeria 40311 Sam Eke Hassana Hassan Citizens Popular Party 36300 Rufus Salau Akuchie Cliff Alliance for Democracy 30673 Mani Ahmad Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue African Democratic Congress 29666 Allagoa Chinedu Arabamhen Mary Peoples Party of Nigeria 24475 Martin Onovo Ibrahim Mohammed National Conscience Party 24455 Tunde Anifowose-Kelani Ishaka Ofemile Accord Alliance 22125 Chekwas Okorie Bello Umar United Progressive Party 18220 Remi Sonaiya Seidu Bobboi KOWA Party 13076 Godson Okoye Haruna Adamu United Democratic Party 9208 Ambrose Albert Owuru Haruna Shaba Hope Party 7435 844519 67422005 INEC By state StateBuhariJonathanAyeniGaladimaEkeSalauAhmadChineduOnovoKelaniOkorieSonaiyaOkoyeOwuruAbia13,394368,3032,7662,1941,046448569424745315330173213125Adamawa374,701251,6641,5491,1668195951,0121,1631,212495334752289267Akwa Ibom58,411953,3043844434124746083273811,600144160224192Anambra17,926660,7622,3031,2591,2794755345378875471,121311286357Bauchi931,598 86,085964232391173189128207131371282946Bayelsa5,194361,2097038446911662954535522018Benue373,961303,7379451,4645672545394396833157410566115Borno473,54325,640878243310392201143107145411583188Cross River28,368414,8635325143817097498649302791,487312289237Delta48,9101,211,4054789168137358883936701,473261311354166Ebonyi19,518323,6532,4521,2142,3451,1332,7041,1681,8904264,859913624989Edo208,469286,8697091,2843254505127295161597217516022Ekiti120,331176,466482538330854424388377941451086094Enugu14,157553,0037154792372694784077614412902031,623110Gombe361,24596,87377319240716924715722710437972546Imo133,253559,1852,2369567337571,6174147845331,917158264157Jigawa885,988142,9042,5275401,553587375853548394197423338337Kaduna1,127,760484,0851,6114248242735465497542187817679105Kano1,903,999215,7792,7707781,552708657485697426156288234292Katsina1,345,44198,9371,6714029762834982543301837221511747Kebbi567,883100,9722,6853611,794450472547519214238448207213Kogi264,851149,9871,0011,089967427761476399700156190180144Kwara302,146132,6021,16581791052043832539424810221481118Lagos792,460632,3272,1773,0381,1254,4532,0721,0411,4301,7952441,000269255Nasarawa236,838273,4603109513174105164222403348234Niger657,678149,2222,0064411,264403614449550307118305116198Ogun308,290207,9501,9303,0729781,9271,3644,339815584597432562332Ondo299,889251,3681,1392,4061,0121,2371,227734846386221223184184Osun383,603249,9291,3061,7311,0291,667937599767377159255124132Oyo528,620303,3764,4688,9796,6746,2825,0002,8421,8956,3313,6651,3121,069839Plateau429,140549,615618391237279406554693178291385456Rivers69,2381,487,0755135255771,1041,0314925651,0661562,274303542Sokoto671,926152,1993,4825351,894714762605686249180475269283Taraba261,326310,8001,3068111,033586320680876962439153224161Yobe446,26525,526632164329213112101120101321043067Zamfara612,202144,8331,310238655290294374404125681229314FCT146,399157,195674342347240288269473139961659583Total15,424,92112,853,16253,53740,31136,30030,67329,66624,47524,45522,12518,22013,0769,2087,435Source: INEC Senate File:Nigerian Senate 2015.svg All Progressives Congress 60 +28 People's Democratic Party 48 –23 Vacant 1 – 0 29432083 67422005 IPU House of Representatives File:Nigerian House 2015.svg All Progressives Congress 212 +77 People's Democratic Party 140 –63 All Progressives Grand Alliance 5 –2 Accord 1 –4 Labour Party 1 –7 Social Democratic Party 1 0 29432083 0 67422005 IPU References Category:Presidential elections in Nigeria Category:Parliamentary elections in Nigeria Nigeria General Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results General