Political Tensions Rise in Nigeria Ahead of 2011 Election

In the lead-up to the 2011 presidential election in Nigeria, political tensions escalated as President Olusegun Obasanjo's eight-year term ended, and power was expected to remain in the north. Following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in May 2010, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan assumed the presidency.

This shift sparked internal strife within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as northern leaders sought to maintain power through a consensus candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Atiku warned against the dangers of political unrest during a conference in December 2010.

Despite his efforts, Jonathan secured the PDP ticket and faced Muhammadu Buhari from the Congress for Progressive Change. As election results indicated Jonathan's victory, violence erupted in northern states, leading to the deaths of over 800 individuals, including ten youth corps members in Bauchi.

Abubakar Malami, then CPC national legal adviser, condemned the violence, attributing it to the PDP's determination to win at all costs.