Nigeria’s modest democratic milestone

In a country with as many challenges as Nigeria, you have to take your progress where you find it. Despite decades as a major oil power, 60% of the country still lives in “absolute poverty,” according to the government’s own figures. Transparency International identifies it as the world’s 15th most corrupt country. And it remains the scene of an extremist insurgency that has left at least 11,000 dead.

But the country can at least lay claim to a significant step in advancing democracy. On Tuesday Nigerians voted to replace President Goodluck Jonathan with Muhammadu Buhari, a former general who was making his fourth attempt at the presidency.

It is the first time since Nigeria gained independence from colonial rule in 1960 that a sitting president has been defeated in a peaceful, democratic election and replaced by an opponent. Previous Nigerian leaders gained office via coups, rigged votes or after a serving president died or stepped down.

Though Mr. Jonathan’s five years have seen little progress on other key areas, he set a new bar for future leaders in telephoning Mr. Buhari on election night to congratulate him on his victory and wish him good luck. “I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word,” he said.

The reason for his defeat is no secret. The extremist Islamist group Boko Haram has steadily increased its campaign of violence and terror across much of northern Nigeria. Mr. Jonathan is from the Christian southern half of the country, which has been relatively untouched by the insurgency, and was accused of failing to show sufficient diligence in combating it until late in his term. Mr. Buhari is a Sunni Muslim from the north, and a former major general in the Nigerian army who has pledged to end the insurgency.

Mr. Buhari served as president once before, from 1983 to 1985, coming to office via a coup and launching a crackdown against corruption and “indiscipline” so fierce he was ousted by his own Supreme Military Council after just 20 months. His human rights record at the time was not good: hundreds of critics, journalists and rival politicians were jailed. He says his earlier regime was a response to the times, and professes to be a “converted democrat.”

Whether he can keep his promise to bring peace to the North remains to be seen. But Nigeria can now argue that it has a real democracy worth protecting.