Important Questions For Nigeria’s Democracy Aftermath of 2019 Elections

Nigeria recently held both presidential and gubernatorial elections in the span of a few weeks. The elections were replete with logistical failures and delays, misconduct, voting irregularities, and violence that resulted in the deaths of at least 58 people since the presidential elections began, and approximately 600 people since the start of campaigning in November 2018. Authorities and civil society groups are now seeking to determine how credible the results of the elections were and how and whom to hold accountable for any misconduct—questions which have significant bearing on Nigeria’s democracy in the coming years.

Election Security: Nigerian Army Launches Election Monitoring & Security Room

The Chief of Army Staff Nigerian Army (NA), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has today Wednesday the 13th of February 2019 launched Elections Monitoring and Security Situation Room with the view to safeguarding and strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

Fears of Violence in Nigeria Ahead of Saturday Election

Lagos, Nigeria - Fears of violence have gripped many in Nigeria days before the presidential and legislative elections on February 16 with at least five deaths reported so far in pre-poll clashes.

National Security Under Scrutiny As Nigeria Votes

Recent Killings in Nigeria_Credit_Vanguard Newspaper

In Nigeria, where religious and ethnic identity often determines support for a candidate, Mudi Bawa might well have been expected to vote for Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Both are northern Muslims. 

Eurasia Group Forecasts The Biggest Geopolitical Risks of 2019: The Nigeria, Buhari, Atiku Connection

Leading geopolitical and political risk advisory firm, Eurasia Group founded by Ian Bremmer asserts that, the global geopolitical environment is at its most dangerous in decades. Here is a look at Eurasia’s top predictions for risks that could impact the world in 2019. Risk number 10 on the list chronicles what might pan out if either of the two top presidential candidates in Nigeria's forthcoming presidential election, Buhari or Atiku wins.

Using Open Source Intelligence, Social Media Data To Forecast #NigeriaDecides2019

Introduction: This research is aimed at harvesting and collating social media data, open source intelligence or publicly available information on political trends, narratives, opinion polls and employing the dataset to forecast the likely winner in Nigeria’s forthcoming presidential election slated to take place on February 16, 2019. Granted there are about 24 candidates in the forthcoming presidential election but realpolitik, pragmatism implies the election would be a two-horse race between two northern Muslims of Fulani extraction - Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari (All Progressives Congress, APC). Naysayers would argue that politics is local; that elections are not won on social media. Despite its flaws, open source intelligence, social media and big data analytics has proven to be veritable tools for inter-alia: predicting social unrest, economic crises, medical epidemic, natural disasters, terrorism and also gauging the ‘political pulse’.