MARIE OLABISI IDAOMI
Department of History and International Studies,
Federal University Lokoja, Nigeria
&
ABDULAHMAN O. SUBERU, PhD
Department of History and International Studies,
Federal University Lokoja, Nigeria
Abstract Elections in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, have historically been fraught with violence, reflecting deep-seated ethnic, religious, and regional divisions. Since independence, electoral processes have often been disrupted by crises that threaten the nation’s unity, with the Fourth Republic, inaugurated in 1999, proving no exception. The 2015 general elections presented a particularly turbulent period in Nigeria’s contemporary history, marked by heightened political tensions and a deeply polarized electorate. Candidates and their supporters were divided along primordial lines of ethnicity, religion, and region, amplifying fears of widespread violence and instability. This period coincided with dire predictions, including a United States forecast of Nigeria’s potential disintegration in 2015. Amid this climate of uncertainty, the National Peace Committee (NPC) was formed, comprising eminent Nigerians from diverse social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Tasked with fostering peace, the NPC brought political stakeholders including party leaders, flag bearers, and other key actors—to the negotiation table, where they pledged to uphold peaceful conduct throughout the electioneering process. This paper examines the NPC’s role as an arbiter and peace messenger during the 2015 general elections