Nigeria's Opposition Joins Forces

Nigeria's four main opposition parties announced Feb. 7 that they have merged to form the All Progressives Congress. The merger of Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the All Nigeria Peoples Party was done to try to defeat the long-ruling People's Democratic Party in elections scheduled for April 2015. The run-up to the national elections could see renewed destabilization of the Nigerian oil and natural gas sectors and increased insecurity in the country's north. The new opposition alliance will try to lessen the chances of destabilization by satisfying northern demands for power while safeguarding economic confidence in southern Nigeria. Its broad-based nature means it will pose a significant challenge to the ruling party.