A President's Aspirations Threaten Nigeria's Feeble Democracy

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared Nov. 11 that he would stand for re-election in February 2015. However, Jonathan's re-election bid, if successful, could destabilize Nigeria by effectively reversing the country's recent efforts to democratize. Backlash against Jonathan has led to a split within the ruling party and is dividing the population, which is already grappling with region-specific security and economic concerns.