Why the opposition won in Nigeria and what to expect now

This research paper analyzes the factors leading to the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Nigerian elections, while outlining the security, economic, and governance priorities for the incoming administration.

• The victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by superior organization and voter mobilization compared to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with strong support for Buhari in the north-west and south-west regions.
• Widespread public dissatisfaction with the PDP's performance regarding national security in the north-east, economic issues such as poverty and unemployment, and the failure to improve the erratic electricity supply contributed to the ruling party's loss of support.
• The 2015 electoral process saw a significant improvement due to the introduction of electronic voter cards and an updated voter register that removed over five million unqualified or phantom voters.
• President-elect Buhari faces critical security challenges, specifically the ongoing Boko Haram threat and the potential for a renewed insurgency in the oil-producing Delta region as the amnesty program ends.
• Key governance and economic priorities for the Buhari administration include combating corruption, improving public service delivery, and resuscitating the Petroleum Industries Bill to increase transparency in the oil industry.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2015). Why the opposition won in Nigeria and what to expect now. https://saiia.org.za/research/why-the-opposition-won-in-nigeria-and-what-to-expect-now/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Why the opposition won in Nigeria and what to expect now. 2015. https://saiia.org.za/research/why-the-opposition-won-in-nigeria-and-what-to-expect-now/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Why the opposition won in Nigeria and what to expect now |date=2 April 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/why-the-opposition-won-in-nigeria-and-what-to-expect-now/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2015why, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Why the opposition won in Nigeria and what to expect now}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/why-the-opposition-won-in-nigeria-and-what-to-expect-now/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }