Bulletin n. 2/2011
October 2011
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Odion Akhaine Sylvester
    Nigeria's 2011 elections: The ‘crippled giant’ learns to walk?
    in African Affairs , Volume 110, Issue 441, October 2011 ,  2011 ,  649-655
    Abstract Nigeria's 2011 elections have been acclaimed by both domestic and international observers as generally ‘free, fair, and credible’. Terrence Macaulay, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, said the conduct of the elections provided the country with an historic opportunity to build its democracy and further enhance its voice on the global stage. The Commonwealth Observer Group in its interim report stated that the ‘April 2011 elections marked a genuine celebration of democracy in Africa's most populous country … Previously held notions that Nigeria can only hold flawed elections are now being discarded and this country can now shake off that stigma and redeem its image.’ Reverend Martin Onukwuba of the Justice Development and Peace Commission said the elections renewed people's confidence in the electoral system as they knew their vote would count... Beyond the excitement of a success story, the question arises as to why the elections were seen as free and fair, and as such a departure from the stigmatized past experiences? The electoral process provides a crucial part of the answer, but other factors were also important. As this Briefing argues, a distinct blend of political will and patriotism, buttressed by meaningful contribution from citizens, the civil service, and the military all came together to make Nigeria's 2011 elections a success story.
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