When a president’s name is Goodluck, you expect good things from that country.

That’s not the case in Nigeria, where 500 people were killed in riots following the recent election of Goodluck Jonathan as President.

Tension in this country is not new but this current outbreak of violence might have international implications.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and one of the world’s major suppliers of oil.

Like so many problems around the world today, Nigeria’s problems stem, in part from religion.

The country has deep religious and ethnic divide between its Christian south (where Jonathan is from) and Muslim north.

According to the Open Society Justice Initiative, the last time the violence got this bad, the government was overthrown.

With all the corruption present in Nigeria, can you even believe the results of the election? Apparently, yes. Analysts have called Johnathan’s decisive victory one of Nigeria’s fairest elections yet.

The riots then, may be attributed to Northern frustration that the South is controlling the government for a second term, after a history of switching governments between the North and South every election.

Not exactly the most uplifting news.

Especially with local elections being held next week which might lead to more violence.