The 2015 general elections in Nigeria are particularly significant in their potential to be the first truly contested elections featuring a viable opposition since the transition to civilian rule in 1999. As the country moves towards these critical elections, africapractice will be providing updates on key developments, changes in power structures and profiles of key figures and their roles in the evolving political environment. This initial piece in the series provides an overview of the current political situation in the country, highlighting recent developments and changes in party affiliations. It also draws attention to some of the issues and actors that we can expect to have an impact on the elections, and which we will be actively following in the coming months.

When people have talked of corruption in Nigeria I've always looked at it as no greater or less than corruption in most Nations of the world. It is however ironic for me that it took this election - remember elections are in a sense superposed to mark a sort of progress. We may even venture to suggest that a majority of the Middle East Nations are more backward than Nigeria and other African Nations that at least have made the progress to hold elections and consequently democratically elected the current sitting presidents. And yet nothing has so disheartened me and highlighted what the evil of corruption actually may look like than the campaigns so far. There's such hatred, lies bigotry, that i cannot see how a Victory could be worth all this bitterness save for you want to embezzle money and enrich your self and your party followers. This political parties cannot be causing all this ethnic enmity and hatred across the nation if it is their aim to help the people of Nigeria.