Regional violence and electoral politics in Nigeria

There is a increasing tension in Nigeria these days as a number of simmering political dynamics are beginning to give off a few more sparks. Long-standing conflicts in the oil-rich Niger Delta, along with ethno-religious tension in Nigeria's north, appear to be intensifying somewhat as the Presidential elections scheduled for Spring 2011 approach. The latest incident took place on New Year's Eve at the Mami market outside the Abacha barracks in Abuja, and blame has been placed on Boko Haram, the radical Islamist group implicated in the December 24 violence that took place in the Northern city of Jos.

The term "Boko Haram" is of Hausa tribal origin, and it is translated as "Western education is a sin". The group, which seeks the imposition of Sharia law in Northern Nigeria (and possibly beyond) was founded in 2002 and is purported to run out of a base in the Northern town of Kannama (Yobe State). Nigerian security forces have expressed growing concern in recent years over the group's growing capacity to carry out violent attacks.

The future of Nigerian federalism will be very much at stake in coming months, as the discrete, distinct problem sets that mark both Northern and Southern Nigerian politics find their way into an electoral nexus of increasing importance.