The 2011 elections in Nigeria: A new dawn?

Nigerians went to the polls in April. Elections have been deemed to be the most organised, free and fair, but they were far from flawless.

Nigerians went to the polls in April to vote for members of the National Assembly, president and governors in the fourth nationwide elections since the return to civil rule in 1999. The elections have been deemed to be the most organised, free and fair in the country’s history, but they were far from flawless. International observers described the votes as a ‘significant improvement’ over previous ones, which is a correct characterisation. Pre-election violence, including bomb attacks (which killed dozens of people) as well as the cumbersome new voting system used – in which registered voters had to be certified at designated polling booths in the morning and then vote in the afternoon – ensured that there was a low turnout. Of the close to 74 million registered voters (of an overall population of more than 150 million), only 39 469 484 people voted in the crucial presidential elections. There were reports of voting by underage voters in baggy pants (mainly in the north of the country), and there were attempts to steal ballot boxes. A total of 1 259 978 votes were disqualified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  

Author: Lansana Gberie