How APC Won the 2015 Presidential Election

Last checked: 14 October 2026. This article looks at how APC won the 2015 presidential election, using published results. It is civic education, not an endorsement of any party, and analysts disagree about which factors mattered most.

How APC won the 2015 presidential election is still one of the most discussed questions in Nigerian politics. A party that had existed for only two years defeated the sitting president and the party that had governed since 1999. Several things came together, and no single one explains the result alone.

A new party built from many

The APC was formed in February 2013 by merging the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. These parties had each been strong in particular regions, but none could win the presidency alone. Joining forces gave the opposition a candidate with support across the north and parts of the south-west.

Defections from the ruling party

In late 2013 a group of PDP politicians, including several sitting governors, left to join the new party. The move gave the APC more money, more structure and more credibility as a party that could actually govern. It also showed voters that the ruling party was divided.

A candidate with a national following

Muhammadu Buhari, a former military head of state, had contested and lost the presidency three times before 2015. He had a loyal base, especially in the north, and a public image built around discipline and anti-corruption. Yemi Osinbajo, a Lagos-based professor of law, was chosen as his running mate, which helped the ticket balance north and south.

The campaign message

The campaign centred on the word “change”. It focused on insecurity, corruption allegations and the economy. Supporters said the PDP government had failed to deliver on these; the PDP argued that the government had made progress and that the opposition’s criticisms were exaggerated. Voters and analysts weighed these claims differently.

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Election administration

The election was administered by INEC under then-chairman Attahiru Jega and was held on 28 and 29 March 2015 after a postponement. Permanent voter cards and card readers were introduced to reduce multiple voting. Some officials and observers credited the technology with improving credibility, while the losing side and some critics raised complaints about specific areas. Overall, the outcome was accepted by the incumbent.

The results

• Muhammadu Buhari (APC): 15,424,921 votes, or 53.96%, and 21 states.
• Goodluck Jonathan (PDP): 12,853,162 votes, or 44.96%, and 15 states plus the Federal Capital Territory.
• Margin: more than 2.5 million votes.
• Turnout: 43.65%, among the highest of the later elections.

Where the APC won

Buhari carried most northern states, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Sokoto and Zamfara. He also won in much of the south-west, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ondo, and in states such as Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Niger. Jonathan carried the south-south and south-east, along with Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa and the FCT. The map shows that the APC needed both its northern base and a strong south-west showing.

The concession and handover

Jonathan conceded on 31 March 2015, before the results from all 36 states had been announced. That decision is widely credited with calming tension. Buhari was sworn in on 29 May 2015, completing the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another at the federal level.

Legislative wins

The APC also won 60 of 109 Senate seats and 212 of 360 House seats, giving it control of both chambers. That control mattered because a president needs the National Assembly to pass budgets and laws.

Why analysts disagree

• Some stress the merger and defections.
• Some stress voter dissatisfaction with insecurity and the economy.
• Some stress the effect of electoral reforms and a credible challenger.

Most accounts combine these factors.

Why 2015 still matters

The 2015 result set the template for how Nigerian politics is discussed today. It showed that opposition parties can win when they unite, that voters can remove a ruling party, and that a peaceful concession can protect stability. It also raised expectations of the new government. In the elections that followed, in 2019 and 2023, the APC had to defend a record in office instead of promising change, which is a very different campaign task. Readers comparing the three contests will find it useful to keep the 2015 figures in mind.

What we could not confirm

• How much each factor contributed to the final result, since no study settles this.
• Exact figures that may be revised slightly by different sources.

Frequently asked questions

Who did Buhari defeat in 2015? The sitting president, Goodluck Jonathan.

How many states did the APC win? Twenty-one, based on published results.

Was it the first time an incumbent lost? Yes, it was the first time a sitting Nigerian president lost re-election.

Key takeaways

The APC won in 2015 by uniting opposition parties, attracting defectors, offering a well-known candidate and campaigning on change, in an election with strong turnout and a conceding incumbent. The reasons are debated, but the numbers are clear.

Sources checked

• Wikipedia, 2015 Nigerian general election (compiling INEC figures)
• INEC results as reported by TheCable and Channels TV, April 2015
• Africa Studies Centre Leiden, presidential election of 28 March 2015