America's Hegemonic Influence on the Outcome of the 2015 Presidential Election in Nigeria

Abstract

One of the fundamental objectives of US foreign-policy since the mid-twentieth century has been the spread of democracy across the globe. Africa's records of military authoritarianism provide the enabling conditions for US democratic exertion. Specifically, Nigeria's strategic importance accounts for US interest in the establishment of a popular and enduring political order. This article explores the efforts made by the US in forestalling the possibilities of political crisis in the 2015 Presidential Election. The article adopts a descriptive method to highlight the circumstances that surrounded the election, and also the US interest in the processes leading to, and the outcome of the election. This provides explanations for the interest in Nigeria's political adventure. The point is made that the combination of support provided by the US and the genuine interest of the dominant political actors ensured that the 2015 Presidential Election had a relatively positive outcome.