2003 Nigerian presidential election

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2003 Nigerian presidential election
Flag of Nigeria.svg
  1999 19 April 2003 2007  
  Olusegun Obasanjo 1-2.jpg Muhammadu Buhari with John Kerry (cropped 2).jpg
Nominee Olusegun Obasanjo Muhammadu Buhari
Party PDP ANPP
Running mate Atiku Abubakar Chuba Okadigbo
States carried25 + FCT 5
Popular vote24,456,14012,710,022
Percentage61.94%32.19%

Map of the 2003 Nigerian presidential election.svg
States won by Obasanjo (in green), and Buhari (blue)

President before election

Olusegun Obasanjo
PDP

Elected President

Olusegun Obasanjo
PDP

Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 19 April 2003. The result was a victory for incumbent Olusegun Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party, who defeated his closest opponent Muhammadu Buhari by over 11 million votes. Voter turnout was 69.1%. [1]

Contents

Background

New elections were organised for the first time for 15 years in Nigeria by a civilian government. Olusegun Obasanjo was a civilian president since 1999, after hanging up his uniform. Although he and his party were the clear favourites, he was accused of manipulating the ballot.

Electoral fraud

Millions of people voted several times. The police in Lagos uncovered an electoral fraud, finding five million false ballots.

International observers, including the European Union, determined various irregularities in 11 of the 36 Federal States. Thus in many cases votes were pre-filled or results were later amended. In some states those did not fulfil minimum standard for democratic elections.

Nearly all opposition parties refused to recognise the result. The electoral committee noted for example that in the city Warri in the Niger delta of 135,739 voters, 133,529 voted for the parliamentary election. Observers reported, however, that up to the Saturday afternoon no elections and only some polling stations had opened. Also the counting time was very long compared with other countries pointed according to observers on possible electoral fraud.

Results

CandidatePartyVotes%
Olusegun Obasanjo People's Democratic Party 24,456,14061.94
Muhammadu Buhari All Nigeria Peoples Party 12,710,02232.19
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu All Progressives Grand Alliance 1,297,4453.29
Jim Nwobodo United Nigeria People's Party 169,6090.43
Gani Fawehinmi National Conscience Party 161,3330.41
Sarah Jubril Progressive Action Congress157,5600.40
Ike Nwachukwu National Democratic Party 132,9970.34
Chris Okotie Justice Party119,5470.30
Balarabe Musa People's Redemption Party 100,7650.26
Arthur Nwankwo People's Mandate Party57,7200.15
Emmanuel OkerekeAll People's Liberation Party26,9210.07
Kalu Idika Kalu New Nigeria People's Party23,8300.06
Muhammadu Dikko YusufMovement for Democracy and Justice21,4030.05
Yahaya NduAfrican Renaissance Party11,5650.03
Abayomi Ferreira Democratic Alternative 6,9320.02
Tunji Braithwaite Nigeria Advance Party 6,7270.02
Iheanyichukwu Godswill NnajiBetter Nigeria Progressive Party5,9870.02
Olapade AgoroNational Action Council5,7560.01
Pere AjuwaLiberal Democratic Party of Nigeria4,4730.01
Mojisola Adekunle-Obasanjo Masses Movement of Nigeria3,7570.01
Total39,480,489100.00
Valid votes39,480,48993.96
Invalid/blank votes2,538,2466.04
Total votes42,018,735100.00
Registered voters/turnout60,823,02269.08
Source: African Elections Database

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References

  1. Elections in Nigeria African Elections Database