Nigerian Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on March 28, 2015

Nigerian Democracy and the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Scheduled for March 28, 2015

Comments by Tom Okure, Ph.D

The upcoming presidential elections on March 28, 2015 is one of the most rigorously campaigned and analyzed elections in the history of modern Nigerian democracy. Both pundits and partisans have expressed their views and positions on the pros and cons associated with the election of the two main front runners on -- the incumbent president Godluck Jonathan of the PDP political party and his main opposition ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of the APC party.

As we approach the end of the long drawn campaign season, the frontline party candidates are making every effort to make their presence and message heard all over the country, and have campaigned alongside with their spouses and supporters, making impressive and lofty promises to the Nigerian masses, some of which are dubious at best and one is very doubtful can be fulfilled under the current economic climate that the country is facing due to the sharp drop in oil revenue. Nevertheless, the Nigerian voting public is highly energized and appears prepaid to cast their vote no matter the circumstance that the country is in because there is a lot at stack on the outcome of the elections for the security and the overall economic wellbeing of the country.

The eyes of the world is on Nigeria this weekend, and the way and conduct of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is being closely watched and monitored from inside and outside of Nigeria. Even more important and of concern to everyone who loves Nigeria is the atmosphere that should prevail in the country after the elections among supporters of the winning and losing party. A transparent election and peaceful atmosphere after the election will indicate that our democracy is gaining root in the country. Conversely, the eruption of violence and any unwillingness to concede defeat assuming a fair election is achieved would indicate that our democracy has failed to deepen and properly root and it will indicate that the political campaigns and promises that we are witnessing was just a charade and a façade used by our political elite to gain political power to continue the exploitation of the suffering masses.

BBC News reporter Peter Okwoche in the video which follows took a pulse of the voters by speaking to potential voters in the city of Port Harcourt in the oil-producing region of the Niger Delta. Take a Listen to who the voters say the will be voting for on Mach 28, 2015.

#Nigeria goes to the polls on Saturday for long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections. It is a contest mainly between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari. The BBC's Peter Okwoche has been speaking to some prospective voters in the oil-producing region of the Niger Delta.
Posted by BBC Africa on Wednesday, March 25, 2015