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Nigeria 2015 General Elections:  Issues and Challenges  

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC.; Otu, Akanu Otu 

 

  NIGERIA 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS:  

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES  

 

                     Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC.  PhD  

                                  groupsonpaul@yahoo.com 

Department of Political Science 

Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), 

Abakaliki – Ebonyi State, Nigeria 

 

Otu, Akanu Otu PhD    

Otu.otu@funai.edu.ng 

Department of Political Science 

Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), 

Abakaliki – Ebonyi State, Nigeria 

 
Abstract 

The introduction and imposition of ethnic identity and religious bigotry on the Nigerian body 

politics by the colonial masters, the country suffered devious nomenclature that keeps on 

dividing, creating suspicion with an enthroned animosity among the people. As political 

governance of the state consistently centred on these factors, the country gradually snowballed 

into a fledging state. Thus, the people in 2015, aware of the utilities of democracy and democratic 

governance, a panacea to arresting this problematic hydride puts aside ethnic identity and 

religious bigotry, even when it was employed to the extreme, to deciding on merit on who leads 

them. The 2015 election, a democratic revolution towards actualizing the aspirations of many is 

situated on game theory framework. The study utilizes analytical concepts and documentary 

approaches. The study notes that the populace had been manipulated by the political actors for 

long using these factors. The study observed that ethnic identity and religious bigotry was totally 

ignored by the masses in making their choice. The study shows that the people, determined for 

change were eager to use their votes judiciously. The study revealed that despite huge financial 

inducement acting as catalysis(m), that the electorates were not deterred. The study suggests that 

politicians and political parties electioneering campaign should be issues based.    

 

Key word: Ethnic Identity, Religious Bigotry, Democratic Revolution, financial inducement, 

political actors, democratic governance       

 

INTRODUCTION 

Contemporary governance speaks 

volume of democratic ethos, democratic 

tenets and democratic sustainability and 

democratic consolidation of the values 

of leadership that are allowed to flourish 

in the political system. This, also 

informs the long lasting of democracy 

within such a state. And where the 

otherwise exists, political instability, 

leadership tussle, social upheaval, crisis 

and uprisings as occurred in many part 

of the world in the 21st century like Cote 

 

mailto:groupsonpaul@yahoo.com


 

 

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d-Voire in 2010-2011, Kenya in 2007-

2008, Thailand in 2013-2014, Pakistan 

in 2013 and the entire Arab Spring 

scenarios in 2011 to date, particularly in 

Libya, Egypt and Syria among others 

takes the stage. 

 

Electioneering democracy, being the 

simplest platform of leadership selection 

has been in practice under the 4th 

Republic in Nigeria since 1999 with the 

then ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party 

(PDP) being in charge amongst the 

several political parties, but yet, not 

measuring up to the expectation of the 

teeming population of the Nigerian 

citizenry. The party, though widely 

acknowledged and accepted was not in 

any way different from the partisan 

politics of the 60s and 80s in terms of its 

relationship with the masses. It also 

joined the bandwagon effects of the 

former’s period to decimate the common 

masses. A period where anything goes. 

Thereby, enthroning corruption to the 

beam, ethnic identity, tribalism and 

religious bigotry used to manipulate the 

unaware masses becomes the main 

totem. The early 1990s elections and the 

trial of democratic period was the only 

time that the masses detested and 

dethroned the antic of the political elites’ 

manipulative tendencies as they voted in 

what was termed the freest, fair and 

peaceful election ever in Nigeria without 

yielding to the dictates of ethno-

religious and or tribal politics. 

 

The 2015 general elections against all 

criticism and skepticism is what one 

may called a democratic revolution that 

saw in the anal of Nigeria political 

history, the second time that the masses 

could speak with one voice in choosing 

their leader on merit without any let or 

hindrance to earmarked the beginning of 

democratic consolidation in Nigeria. For 

democratic revolution occurs in a polity 

when the masses speak with one voice 

against long time enslavement, 

deprivation and manipulation of the 

populist as the incumbent are muscled 

out of power by the opposition. The 

people in the process detests all forms of 

inducement, negates all call for ethnic 

identity cleavages, tribal sentiments and 

religious bigotry that had been used in 

the past to sway the minds of the 

populists against their wishes and 

aspirations to do the needful. 

 

The study, thus, examines the 2015 

general elections in Nigeria, the arising 

issues, challenges and the role of the 

electorates, the instrumentalism of the 

factors of ethnic identity, tribalism and 

religious bigotry and its failures, 

changing trend of electioneering process 

and democratic revolution and the 

implications. 

 

THEORETICAL ARGUMENT 

This study, is poised to adopt Game 

Theory framework, without neglecting 

the interplay of power framework. The 

choice of game theory however, 

overwhelmed all other related theories. 

The Theory, combined manipulation, 

scheming and propaganda to achieving 

desired objectives. Thus, scholars like 

Plano and Riggs (1953) opined that it is 

a body of thought dealing with rational 



 

 

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decision strategies in situations of 

conflict and competition, of which each 

participant or player tends to maximize 

gains and minimize losses. In tandem to 

this assertion, Mager (1972) argued that 

it is a form of arithmetic mode of 

interactions of actors striving to 

maximize their utilities. To Newman 

and Magestern (1957), it is used to 

define the economic man as a rational 

actor who believes in gain rather than 

losses. Agreeing with this contention, 

Stranger (1960) posits that game theory 

is a domineering concept with the intent 

of greed and logical reasoning of 

manipulating others against their 

desires, against the society and against 

the entire system. In the same 

continuum, Levy and Thompson (2010), 

argued that game theory is the act of 

rationally advancing security, power and 

wealth in any societal contest. 

 

Therefore, if game theory involves the 

manipulation of numbers, persons and 

materials to achieving a set goals, whose 

rules are defined vis-à-vis the 

distribution of resources and the 

strategic possibilities that are open to 

each player in the employment of these 

resources, then, the general questions 

that this study raises is how does it 

evolved in the Nigerian politics and 

government? 

 

 In the Nigerian context, the political 

actors appropriate the common masses 

by exploiting their weakness in the 

political system with the existence of a 

deep-seated suspicion, lack of trust, 

fears of war and or break up and 

generational divide among others. 

Though, salient factors that enabled the 

enthronement of ethnic identity, 

tribalism and religious bigotry in the 

body politics cannot be wished away, 

like the colonial divide and rule system 

and the importation of ethnicity has been 

sustained and still much available. This 

platform being the quickest and most 

available tool are readily utilized. The 

actions away from all other challenges 

and problems faced at every political 

contest and electioneering processes are 

imported as seen in 2015 general 

elections. 

 

The essence of this political intrigues 

was to manipulate the electorates, 

especially those of South-East, South-

South and South-West against the rest of 

the country. With theoretical 

understanding of the essence 

mobilization in a polity, the ideals of 

ethnic identities become important to 

political actors in trying to bring about 

the success of such as it was in the past 

political elections that had relied on 

ethnic cleavages in wooing Nigerians. 

This is not only due to the fact that ethnic 

identities and primordialism, which are 

naturally given are products of social 

construction (Taras and Grangully, 

2002), but because the human actions 

and choices are manipulated by the 

political elites in this context. Other 

instrumentalization factors that 

encourages ethnic identities like 

tribalism and religious bigotry are tools 

of action used by successive political 

actors/elites in Nigeria to achieve 



 

 

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material gains (Taras and Gangully, 

2002). 

 

Today, the 2015 general elections being 

the opposite, however, sends a huge 

signal to the political actors as to what 

happen? Why the failures of political 

manipulators in the last election? How 

aware were the electorates? What could 

have informed the electorates to negate 

the usual manipulation and inducement 

of political elites? Why did masses 

decided to ignore, detect and deter all 

intents to corruption to do the needful? 

How important do the masses of Nigeria 

sees their mandate as the key factor in 

changing a leader who fails to perform? 

All this could be summed up simply and 

perhaps, because the people want 

democracy; and not only that but 

because they want sustainable 

democracy. 

 

NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIC 

HISTORY IN THE CONTEXT OF 

2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS  

Election is not new in Nigeria. It dates 

back to the direct election of 1923, 

which was the first election to be 

conducted by the former colonial 

masters - Britain, on the Nigeria soil. 

Though the voting right of Nigerians 

was mortgaged with slim access to 

power and restriction, but there was no 

record of electoral fraud or riggings even 

when they exist. Although, no fraud and 

criminality could be more than that 

which denied and imposed class 

distinction, even when awareness on 

political culture and essences of 

governance had its abysmal tool on the 

citizenry. 

 

Away from this history, all other 

elections in Nigerian had been bedeviled 

with wild-tale of ethnic chauvinism, 

tribal sentiments and religious bigotry 

that end up enthroning electoral 

selections, gross riggings, and electoral 

swamping of high degree magnitude. In 

all inferences, it is always the electoral 

system, the government and the general 

mass that are blamed for the categorical 

failures. Thereby insinuating absence of 

proper political culture, political 

behaviour, political mobilization and 

enabling political institution. This 

negating factors, however, helped to 

decimate governance system to an awful 

end. 

 

With the introduction of indirect election 

under the Richard constitution of 1946, 

the politics of ethnicity and ethnic 

identity in our body politics was born as 

parties were regionally and ethnically 

formed and funded. A clog in the wheel 

of progress that was purportedly sowed 

by the British colonial master. Hence, 

given birth to an inbuilt relationship that 

empower every regional actor to claim 

the victory of their region whether voted 

for or not. The NPC dominating the 

Northern political sphere, the AG for 

Western and the NCNC for the Eastern 

region. All this against competent 

contender away from these parties’ 

elements. It also saw mass of imposition; 

rigging and dominance as occurred in 

1956 and 1959 Independence Election 

(Smith, 2008). Anifowose (2000), also 



 

 

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arguably noted that the election of 1964 

and 1965 was engrossed in electoral 

violence as a result of rigging, ethnic 

divides and malpractices. Eleazu (1983), 

in the same respect noted that inept 

errors of the 1963 census proceeding the 

election of 1964 enhances wild post - 

independence elections malpractices 

encouraged by ethnic chants and 

divisionist tendencies due to improper 

record and delineations.  

 

To say this is not a generational 

problem, passed on from the erstwhile 

colonial master down to the present 

generation, is a blatant lie because the 

role of ethnic identity and religious 

bigotry has not only been consistent but 

very destructive. Electoral falsification 

and rigging had been a British product 

just to favour one ethnic group as 

Nigeria political quagmire is also a 

British product. A deep seated hydride 

of ethnicity, tribalism and religious 

bigotry had become a dread in Nigeria 

political governance. The revelation of 

Harold Smith, a one-time British 

political official in Nigeria openly 

confirmed the contentions about British 

political infidelity, prostitution and 

unholiness in actually enthrone ethnic 

identity and religious politics in Nigeria. 

Thus, New African (2005) reproduced in 

Spectator Magazine (2008) in its edition 

reiterated: 

 

 ... British rigged Nigeria’s 

independence election so that its 

complaint friends in the North 

would win power, dominate the 

country, and serve British 

interests after independence. As 

long as the federal government 

remains dependent, our strategic 

requirements are constitutionally 

secure … 

 

How the British Undermined 

Democracy in Africa. Now we 

can reveal that rigging election 

was actually Part of official 

policy as the British Empire 

disengaged from its colonial 

possessions in Africa… In the 

west minister model, parliament 

is the matrix of the executive 

when this model is exported to 

dependent territories, we are 

forced in the transitional stages 

to modify it in the interest of 

strong and stable government. 

 

This we do by rigging the 

parliament through official 

majorities, a restricted franchise 

and so forth…  

 

In the last resort, we must make 

sure that the government in 

Nigeria is strong, even if 

possible undemocratic or 

unjust… 

 

This is not only an admission that shame 

the mother of parliament, but this does 

not equally mean that Nigeria must 

continually live by it. There are certain 

ills that does not march or bequeath a 

modern state like ours. History of all 

election in Nigeria must not be the same 

or go the same way if we must talk of 

sustainability and consolidation of 



 

 

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democracy in our body polity at all. But 

our political elites seeing these avenues 

as the cheapest, easier and most 

successful way of retaining political 

power had for long practice it while 

manipulating the common electorates’ 

detriments. 

 

This act was also seen occurring in the 

1979 and 1983 general elections 

between Chief Obafemi Awolowo, 

Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Dr Nnamdi 

Azikiwe among others, to which Shagari 

emerged. To promote this evil of ethnic 

identity, religious bigotry and tribalism, 

the scenario was nicknamed 

“bandwagon effect and landslide victory 

syndrome” (Anifowose, 2000). It is this 

tool of political destruction, devastation, 

and gross malpractices that gave way to 

military regime. 

 

In the 3rd Republic election of 1993, 

Nigerians was again anxious to wish 

away the epileptic military aberrational 

rule, as they trooped out like the army of 

occupation that held sway for years to 

vote in what was adjudged the best, 

fairest, and freest election ever in the 

country's political history. The election 

was devoid of rigging of any kind. 

Ethnicity, religious bigotry, tribal 

sentiments, and any form of rancor was 

buried in the Nigerian polity that year. It 

was the first time Nigerian were allowed 

to use their own devised electoral system 

that was designed to suite their own 

environment - the option A4 system. But 

despite the success of the election, the 

initiators of the system - the military 

annulled it to enthrone instability. Umar 

(2003) and Yoroms (2003:5) argued that 

the aftermath of the annulment led to the 

most critical period of Nigeria political 

history. It is not surprising in this regard 

if we say that certain variable that had 

not continuously and negatively 

impinges on the electoral processes, 

such as ethnic identity, religious bigotry 

and tribal sentiments are problematic 

issues in the Nigerian government and 

politics.  

 

The 1999 and 2003 election was like not 

subsisting on the plane of a continuous 

and consistent dirge of a failed state 

polity. Although the 1999, after a long 

years of military - political hullabaloo, 

corruption and deceitful camouflaged 

under an authoritarian reign was seen as 

another leeway of wishing away the 

military. Consequent that periodical 

desires of all, electoral fraud and copious 

used of money to sway true political 

competition was not constructively 

observed nor criticized and neither was 

ethnic identity, religious bigotry and 

tribalism taken into cognizance. Thus, 

Olusegun Obasanjo emerged from the 

South-West as a compensation to the 

zone for the annulled 1993 election was 

not opposed but seen as an alternative 

candidate in the 1999 elections. Sequel 

to this, there was free room for rigging 

at both the federal, states and as well as 

in local grassroots. The rigging at this 

period was allowed to stand to avoid 

returning back to the aberrational 

military rule. The press in trying to avoid 

the worst from happening did not make 

much critical assessment of the result. It 

was this same problem according to 



 

 

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Oshukeye (2007) that brought about the 

grand distortion and devastation of the 

political state in the 2003 election that 

returned Obasanjo to power after a 

fraudulent and swooping electoral 

‘thieffry and thugifism’.  

 

The peculiar nature of the Nigeria 

political election also avails many 

international observers the opportunity 

to witness Nigeria transiting through an 

incumbent conducted election to another 

or to be re-elected.  

 

In the 2007 elections, the ruling party 

and the then incumbent President 

imported a hysteria propaganda by 

saying that the ‘election will be do or 

die’ against the fear of failure in case of 

any free and fair contest. Hystericism, 

according to Waal (1998) and Keane 

(1996), is more dangerous than the 

competition itself because it destroys the 

victims or opponents before the actual 

death. To this effect, the perceived 

enemies are put in disarray, due to fear 

of death, destruction and wanton 

violence with the power in the hand of 

the govern who might be the initiators. 

The initiators, according to Cooper 

(1998) and Adelman (1999), executors 

or initiators are asked to strike first so 

that the enemies might not struck. The 

election result was doctored by the 

INEC staff, rigged by party agents with 

general votes allocation that was high to 

prompt ICG (2007) to equivocally states 

that the elections were poorly organized, 

massively rigged and mercilessly 

covered. Reacting to this absurdity, 

Oyekan (2007) notes that Nigerians 

were not only dismay but was amazed at 

the facts available, suggesting the 

obvious, that the outcome was a bizarre. 

The INEC and the government has 

assaulted the sensibility of Nigerians. 

They had violated the entire processes 

that should not be accepted in any 

electoral setting and has instead given 

Nigeria a travesty of what an election 

should be (Chukwuma, 2007). 

 

In the acceptance of the 2007 elections 

as haven been marred with fraud, flaws, 

massive riggings and other electoral 

malpractices, the declared winner, 

Alhaji Musa Yar’adua admitted with a 

high sense of responsibility that there 

were high degree flaws as noted in the 

election but still accepted the certificates 

of return as the official winner since the 

position avoid vacuum.   

 

However, against the incidence that 

trailed the death of Musa Yar’adua in 

February 2010 and the consequent 

doctrine of necessity as adopted by the 

senate of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, thereby, allowing for the 

passage of power to Goodluck Ebele 

Jonathan (The Guardian, 2010), the 

2011 general elections saw an 

overwhelming and sympathetic electoral 

victory for Goodluck Jonathan and the 

ruling PDP. The masses voted against 

ethnic divide among others as they never 

allowed such into the electoral stream as 

some had championed with electoral 

violence. The poll was propelled by 

majority interest with the hope that 

something tangible would come out of 

the Jonathan led government. However, 



 

 

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against the high expectations and 

promises the government of Goodluck 

Ebele Jonathan meshed itself in a deep 

and weak incapacitation slumber that 

assumedly strangled the institutions of 

governance. To finish the Jonathan 

project, the remnants of the government 

was hijacked by terrible cabals who 

helped themselves in achieving their 

own monumental gains. 

 

The government of Jonathan however, 

by its sheer providence played a game 

that he never and cannot explain its tide 

and course. And before he could realize 

his mistakes, it was too late as average 

Nigerians had become increasingly 

aware and probably ready to decide their 

fate in the 2015 electoral poll to 

Jonathan’s disadvantage. Agreeing to 

this notion, Akintude-Johnson (2015), 

noted that ‘change ‘mantra transcended 

slogan and lingo – it correctly and timely 

defined the main contemplation of most 

Nigerians...against 16 years of PDP 

adventure and pantomime. The people 

craved for a change in the national 

leadership.    

       

 ISSUES AND CHALLENGES  

The 2015 general election like all other 

elections in Nigeria were faced with 

enormous challenges and issue that 

tends to derail the whole processes. This 

included: 

 

(1) Lack of Political Awareness in 

Distribution and Collection of Voter’s 

Cards 

The voters card production though was 

seen to be slow as many people were 

apprehensive that probably the INEC 

and the government wants to 

disenfranchise Nigerians or go their 

normal way of allocating votes to 

favourite candidates as was seen in 2003 

and 2007 elections (The Guardian, 

2007). Despite this slowness however, 

many people were unaware that the 

voter’s card were being distributed. And 

where there is turnout, the INEC official 

only report at their own time. In the 

south, the number of collection was 

abysmally low owing to several excuses 

from the INEC staff, the registered 

voters and the media. The National 

Orientation Agency was seen to be 

doing nothing order than campaigning 

for a particular political party instead of 

creating political awareness among the 

people. The will for electoral 

conscientization was lacking and the 

NOA was meshed in a political 

bickering and partisan. 

 

(2) The Unconcerned Attitude of 

the Citizenry towards Elections 

(Apathy) 

The most honest thing about the last 

election was that Nigerian was evenly 

divided. There were those who believe 

that it is as usual while some, mostly 

from the North and South-West were 

highly aware and desired for free and 

fair elections. The attitude of the South-

South and South-East people was not 

only that their brother is there, but that it 

is their turn, hence, whether bad or good 

that they should be allowed to finish 

their tenure. They so much believe that 

the president has the power to turn the 

election victory to his side. There was 



 

 

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also a political miscalculation that still 

centre on ethnic inclination, cleavages 

and tribalism, especially among those in 

government who believe that whether by 

hook or crock, that they will rig the 

election to remain in power, thereby 

trying to re-echo the view of Peter 

(2007) that governments in Nigeria 

never guarantees citizen basic right to 

vote but always wanting their will to be 

done as fraud, violence and/or electoral 

distortions are planned ahead before 

elections. Premised on this slide and 

absurd notion, many people from other 

part of the country, especially the South-

East and South-South neglected the 

sensitization exercise on registration and 

the obtaining of voter’s cards to the 

detriment of their preferred candidate 

when it was obvious that the election is 

not going to be a work-over against the 

opposition. 

 

(3) The Negative Role and Antics 

of Political Hijackers 

One of the most devious challenges 

faced by the 2015 general elections was 

the role of political hijackers beginning 

from the electoral process to the 

announcement of results. These 

hijackers noting the weakness in the 

presidency was uncomfortable with idea 

of retaining the INEC Chairman by the 

President. They had wished that Prof. 

Jega’s tenure be terminated and replaced 

with someone who can deliver the party 

(PDP) to retaining power. Then, against 

the low collection of voter’s card in the 

Southern part of the country, the 

campaign against election holding 

targeting Prof. Jega Chairmanship, and 

the acceptability of the election date 

among others becomes their problematic 

overture and calculations. To appease 

this group, the election date was changed 

but with uncertainty. Even when the 

election was conducted and the results 

started coming in, the group with 

advance plan of obtaining court 

injunctions from the Abuja Federal High 

Court to stopping the announcement as 

alleged failed, they resorted with 

decision to display their vexation on the 

whole issue at the floor of the general 

collation centre of INEC to scuffle the 

announcement of the results as led by 

Elder Godsday Olubebe of PDP.  

 

The activities of this group if they had 

succeeded would have taken Nigeria 

aback and probably violence and 

complete failed state logjam setting in. 

The group with evil intension would 

have retarded all known democratic, 

development and peaceful processes, 

thereby plugging Nigeria into a 

perpetual political instability. 

 

(4) The Re-Introduction of 

Ethnicity, Tribalism and Religious 

Bigotry into Nigeria Body Politics 

While the APC/Buhari campaign mantra 

was ‘change’, the PDP/Jonathan 

campaign jingle was the importation of 

ethnic identity and ethnic divide. Thus, 

at the height of the 2015 general 

elections campaigns, and away from the 

overwhelming PDP hope of retaining 

power, it was completely clear that the 

level of awareness among the people of 

Nigeria for a change of government was 

imminent. Hence, the PDP Presidential 



 

 

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campaign team re-enacted the role of 

ethnicity, tribalism and religious bigotry 

into the body politics. The PDP 

campaigner greatly exploited that 

avenue as a way of weakening the 

opposition, creating animosity and 

division among the electorates. 

President Jonathan used the antic to 

create a huge division among the people 

of South-South/South-East and South-

West against the Northern people. 

 

The ethos of ethnicity and religious 

bigotry, especially, was re-introduced 

into our body politics. With over 75% of 

the electorates in the South-South and 

South-East buying the idea, the South-

West differed due to the level of 

awareness, education and democratic 

culture. The opposition party, APC, 

however, was seen campaigning on 

issue based ideology. To make mockery 

of democracy and what is right, 

President Jonathan at an electoral 

campaign at Okpara Square in Enugu 

state said that stealing is not corruption; 

after-all, how much did Chief Jim 

Nwobodo stole that he was jailed by 

Gen. M. Buhari in 1984. The re-

introduction of this monster ‘ethnicity 

and ethnic identity’ that was destroyed 

in 1993 general election was not only 

rejuvenated but it becomes 

disheartening that it was coming from a 

statesman like Jonathan. A terrible 

campaign slogan, filled with blackmail 

and cheap propaganda that has been re-

invented and sponsored by PDP on the 

national (NTA) and private (AIT) 

Medias against the opposition to 

manipulate the general society. A ploy, 

Akinyemi (2015), aptly notes that the 

politicians has forgotten that our unity 

would be stronger if everything about 

ethnicity, tribalism and religious bigotry 

are erased from our body politics. 

 

However, despite this mistrust, the 

average Nigerian electorates was keen 

and ready to change the government. 

The manipulative tendency coupled with 

copious use of money and food items as 

inducement was completely ignored and 

where it was accepted, the electorates 

simply claimed that it was the tax 

payer’s money, hence, it is the peoples’ 

wealth that are being misappropriated 

(Lawal,2015). 

 

The result of the election however, 

shocked the electoral manipulators and 

also send a strong signal to agents of 

ethnicity and religious bigotry crusaders, 

informing them that the level of 

awareness and the resolute will to what 

is right is now the order of the day. This 

kind of democratic revolution suffices to 

state that with the level of political 

awareness, political consciousness of the 

masses and total reframe from the older 

with peacefulness might ensure our 

democratic sustainability and 

consolidation in the next dispensation. 

  

(5) The Stand of International 

Communities toward Healthy 

Democracy 

Despite all ploy and agenda of holding 

or not holding the last election as being 

schemed by the PDP political hawks or 

political hijackers, the international 

community of USA, Great Britain, 



 

 

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Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC.; Otu, Akanu Otu 

 

France and European Union among 

others, who had donated much to INEC 

in preparation towards the election was 

resolute that election must hold in 

Nigeria against all odds. 

On the consequent, the President was 

being informed of the fate of Laurent 

Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire and Charles 

Taylor of Liberia among others who had 

derailed democratic processes leading to 

violence and wanton killings in their 

states. Hence, the need for free and fair 

play in the election is not negotiable as 

the election must go on as schedule. It is 

on this mounting pressures that probably 

allowed and possibly helped the actual 

conduct of the elections that the political 

hijackers had already deemed 

impossible in order to retain the 

statuesque of the ruling government. 

 

THE IMPLICATIONS 

This is viewed from two perspectives of 

consistent deprivation of the political 

will of the masses and the 2015 general 

election in Nigeria democratic space. 

 

(a) The consistent deprivation of 

the political will of the masses 

The electorates in the Nigeria political 

space has been consistently manipulated 

at every political season. Right from 

independence to date as stated in the 

Nigerian electoral history, it is clear that 

the common electorates are victims of 

the elites or politicians’ political 

designs. These methods ranging from 

the import of ethnicity, tribalism, 

religious bigotry to massive electoral 

rigging, votes allocation, candidates’ 

imposition to the dislocation of electoral 

mandates and democratic dividend 

among others informed that the masses 

are cyclically used at every election 

without any development to show for it. 

An action that exemplified a weak and 

defeated masses. 

 

The politician, relying on this platform 

of the three monstrous characters of 

ethnicity and ethnic identity, religious 

bigotry and tribalism among others had 

made mess of the masses political 

power, ‘their mandate’ to taunt them and 

deprive them the essence of governance 

and democratic tenets. 

 

Economically, the masses are poorly 

paid, in most areas, no access road, no 

water, no electricity and no general 

development, simply because the fund 

meant for such had been 

misappropriated. The level of 

unemployment, failed system and high 

cost of living continued to hunt the 

common masses due to denial and 

cyclical neglect of the leaders in 

performing their functions after every 

election. 

 

(b) The 2015 General Election in 

Nigeria Democratic Space 

The expectation of Nigerians in the 2015 

election was clearly expressed in the 

run-up to the elections, both in the body 

language and the expression.  It is this 

development that however, aroused the 

several scheming that the political 

hijackers tried to use to derail the 

process and conduct of the elections. 

The importation of ethnic identity, 

tribalism and religious bigotry could 



 

 

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have been another factor that could have 

thwart the true result of the elections if 

the Nigerian electorates did not ignore 

the antics and campaign slogans. 

 

The outcome or the negation of the 

election would have taken Nigeria back 

to the pre-independence period where 

ethnic identity and instability was the 

clarion call of political gladiators. The 

nation would have equally loose its 

value in the international committee of 

nations. 

 

Moreover, the derail of the 2015 general 

election would not only have 

disempowered and disenfranchise the 

masses of the country, it would have 

equally portrayed Nigeria as a misfit, 

unserious and completely failed state. 

This also informed the National 

Democratic Institute and European 

Union (2015), affirmed after the election 

that Nigerians conscious of their pains 

had spoken to reject corruption, 

fraudulent practices, thievery, greed and 

political balkanization of the Nigerian 

democracy to what is the true wish of the 

people. 

 

THE CHANGING TRENDS OF THE 

2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS 

The 2015 general elections being 

different in several ways from other 

previous elections in the country is 

unique in its own history. This could be 

located in four (4) ways: 

 

 It was totally different from the 

1959, 1979 and 1983 general 

elections in that it did not only 

fail to adhere to the idea of 

ethnicity, ethnic identity and the 

ploy of marriage of 

conveniences that was always 

the order of the day for 

politicians to propagates at the 

dying minutes of political 

scheming. 

 It re-echoed the 1993 general 

elections zeal as noted amongst 

the people with the hope that 

there is a New Nigeria insight.   

 The elections destroyed the 

political antics of politicians and 

political elites who uses ethnic 

identity, religious bigotry and 

tribalism among others to 

manipulate the common masses 

of the country. 

 It created an enabling political 

environment, a high political 

aware people with a high 

political educated society that 

might lead to a sound democratic 

sustainability and consolidations 

if properly managed.  

 

RECOMMENDATION 

1. Apart from the fact that the study 

observed that ethnic identity as 

imported into the election was not 

adhered to by the masses, suggest 

that it is necessary that the masses 

should be made to understand the 

implications of ethnicity and 

ethnic identity on the general body 

politics of Nigeria against future 

elections. 

2.    Borrowing word from Akinyemi 

(2015), if our politicians should 

erase everything about ethnicity, 



 

 

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tribalism and religious bigotry 

from our body politics then, our 

Unity could be stronger. 

3.     The study is also of the view that 

politicians and political parties 

should make their electioneering 

campaigns an issue based towards 

solving the society problems. 

4      The worst thing that could happen 

to a polity is when the people eat 

their tomorrow a day before the 

very day in the name of electoral 

inducement. This, the electorate 

must be aware of and resist any 

agents of such bondage. 

5. With the knowledge of democracy 

and democratic tenets, political 

education to enhance the level of 

awareness of Nigerian towards 

election is very necessary. 

6. Many Nigerians should be 

conscientized that there is nothing 

unique or valued based in ethnic, 

religious or tribal chants and 

sentiments.  Thus, they should 

negate political manipulators and 

opportunistic zeal of elites in 

brainwashing them for scrupulous 

gain against the wishes of the 

common electorates. 

7. Democratic education in line with 

political culture and political 

awareness away from any political 

or campaign slogans that will not 

re-orient the society towards 

political development should be 

ignored. 

     8. The success and healthy polity of 

any political system lies on 

obedient to the principles of rule of 

law and the upholdment of the 

tenets of constitutionalism, which 

should be everyone stake in the 

new Nigeria. 

     9. The emerging government should 

inaugurate itself to political 

relevance in the issues and 

challenges of the Nigerian 

democratic processes if we must 

talk of sustainability and 

consolidation in the polity. 

 

CONCLUSION 

The degree of awareness seen in the 

2015 general election have unfolded a 

growing zeal of the masses in 

understanding their political 

environment instead of always allowing 

self to be manipulated by the political 

elites. This also informed the call that 

the constitution and the electoral Act 

need to be revised to be consistent with 

the international best practices. With the 

post-election appraisal, euphoria, 

blames and criticism the new clarion still 

suggests that there is the need to 

maintain integrity of the former so as to 

allow election to be the point of all 

decision in choosing a candidate. Then, 

election should also be made to be 

transparent by allowing polling booths 

to be less crowded. There is correlation 

between election and democratic 

consolidation even when there was gray 

area which make the election not 

acceptable.       

 

The total neglect and abandonment of 

the old order of ethnic identity, religious 

bigotry and tribalism has not only 

displayed the growing educational and 

democratic awareness but had informed 



 

 

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the actors of such antics of its probable 

end. Hence, the democratic revolution 

witness in the 2015 election, where the 

people voted for merit is a mark of 

democratic development of Nigerian 

must be sustained and enhance. 

 

 

 

 

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