Numerous reports show that Nigeria is one of the most religious countries
in the world. Thus, it is not surprising that religion features prominently in
the country’s elections. The 2015 general election marks another signpost
in the interconnection between religion and elections in Nigeria, although
with a different pattern. Using an analysis of the 2015 presidential elections,
this paper argues that, although religion appeared to play a central role in
the pre-election period, it was less significant in the actual voting decision
of the electorate on election day. Rather, other factors, especially candidates’
profiles and performance records, took precedence over religious and ethnic
considerations. This essay concludes that the voting pattern possibly reveals
an increasingly sophisticated electorate and a consolidating democracy in
Nigeria.
Politics and the Pulpit: The Rise and Decline of Religion in Nigeria’s 2015 Presidential Elections
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Journal of African Elections