Nigerian general election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14 April and 21 April 2007. Governorship and state assembly elections were held on 14 April, while the presidential and national assembly elections were held a week later on 21 April. Umaru Yar'Adua won the highly controversial election for the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP) and was sworn in on 29 May. Election observers from the European Union
described the elections as "the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world", with "rampant vote rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation."
. Additionally he was unsupported by Atiku Abubakar
, his vice-president. Presidential candidates were announced in late December 2006, and 50,000 assault rifles were ordered to help the military maintain order during the election. Umaru Yar'Adua contested the election for the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP), and the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) chose Muhammadu Buhari
. Atiku Abubakar
, the current Vice-President, announced on 25 November 2006 that he would contest the election, and he subsequently became the presidential candidate of the Action Congress
in December.
, but the largest city, Lagos
, has been in the hands of the Alliance for the Democracy (AD) since 1999.
(INEC) declared Abubakar ineligible to run due to fraud charges. A High Court had ruled that the commission could not disqualify candidates, but INEC claimed that the constitution barred candidates from running if indicted. Another superior court, the Court of Appeal, ruled in favour of the Electoral Commission by saying that it has powers to disqualify candidates. Abubakar attempted to get on the ballot via court challenge. In a case that came before the apex court, the court ruled that INEC has no constitutional powers to disqualify any candidates for the election, clearing the way for Abubakar to run. The Supreme Court
, the country's highest judicial body, confirmed this ruling and reaffirmed Abubakar's candidacy.
Adebayo Adefarati
, the candidate of the small Alliance for Democracy
, died shortly before the election on 29 March 2007. This raised the possibility of the election being delayed, as the law provides for a delay under the circumstances if requested by the party that had nominated the candidate; however, a spokesman for INEC said that the election would not be delayed. He said that the party could nominate a replacement candidate.
n military killed at least 25 suspected Islam
ic militants 18 April, while battling extremists who attacked a police station on 17 April in Kano
, days before the election. Shortly before voting began on 21 April, there was an alleged attempt in Bayelsa State
to kill Goodluck Jonathan
, who is the PDP vice-presidential candidate and the governor of the state, as well as a failed attempt to destroy INEC headquarters in Abuja
with a truck bomb.
Nigeria has never yet managed a peaceful handover from one democratically elected president at the end of his constitutional term to the next. The most recent failed election was the 1993 election of M. K. O. Abiola, which was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida
, the military dictator ruling at the time. General Sani Abacha
eventually seized power, and when Abiola tried to claim his presidency, he was imprisoned until his questionable death in 1998.
After the death of Chief M.K.O Abiola
and Katsina State
, where the results were contested by the local population; the election will have to be rerun in Imo State
and Enugu State
due to complications. By the last count, Obasanjo's PDP party had won 29 of 33 states so far declared, with Human Rights Watch
describing the vote-rigging as "shameless".
Following the gubernatorial and state assembly elections on 14 April, 18 parties, including those of Abubakar and Buhari, demanded on 17 April that the presidential election be postponed, that INEC be disbanded, and that the earlier elections be annulled; otherwise, they said that they would consider boycotting
the presidential election. On 19 April, however, both Buhari's ANPP and Abubakar's Action Congress said that they would not boycott the election.
The 60 million presidential election ballot papers were kept in South Africa to prevent tampering. However, last-minute changes to add Abubakar to the list caused problems in distribution of ballots as papers did not arrive from South Africa until Friday evening. The reprinted papers were not serially numbered as was intended.
were not released but the turnout was estimated at 57.5 percent of 61.5 million registered voters.
The first results to be released, from Rivers State
, showed a large majority for Yar'Adua. On April 23, Yar'Adua was declared the winner by INEC, which said that he had received 70% of the vote (24,638,063 votes). Buhari was said to be in second place with 18% of the vote (6,605,299 votes), while Abubakar was placed third with about 7% (2,637,848 votes). Both Buhari and Abubakar rejected the results. The opposition candidates believe the election was rigged in Yar'Adua's favor.
Outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo stated in a televised address that the election "could not be described as perfect".
Results, announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu
, were:
The results did not disclose the total votes scored in the states or the percentages of the scores by the presidential candidates.
Yar'Adua was inaugurated on 29 May 2007.
According to Ikimi, "The result sheets we viewed so far was not signed by any of our agents at the state level. They were only signed by Resident Electoral Commissioners and only the PDP agents."
Also, Admiral Lanre Amusu who represented the ANPP at the INEC collation centre concurred what Chief Tom Ikimi said. "I am in total agreement with what Chief Ikimi has just said. Only results from 13 states and they were collated and signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the States and the PDP Agents. Our agents did not sign these results."
The national chairman of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Chief Olu Falae, with leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Action Congress (AC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), National Advance Party (NAP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP), has called for the setting up of an Interim National Government to conduct credible elections in the country. Falae explained that the country needed an ING to guard against the emergence of the military on the political scene.
The Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation claimed that the INEC deliberately left 70 percent of the ballot papers in a warehouse in Johannesburg, South Africa. They claimed that the contractors could have freighted the entire 200-ton consignment into the country three days before the election (Thursday) but the INEC told them to bring only 30 percent of the ballot papers.
Nigeria's Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka
said the West should deny entry visas to election commissioner Maurice Iwu for his "complicity in the fraudulent elections." He said he has heard of the financial prudence and moral uprightness of Yar'Adua. "I wish he [Yar'Adua] would carry his decency even further by publicly renouncing this poisoned chalice to say: 'I'm not a receiver of stolen goods'."
Chief European Union
observer Max van den Berg reported that the handling of the polls had "fallen far short" of basic international standards, and that "the process cannot be considered to be credible", citing "poor election organisation, lack of transparency, significant evidence of fraud, voter disenfranchisement, violence and bias." They described the election as "the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world", with "rampant vote rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation". One group of observers said that at one polling station in Yenagoa, in the oil-rich south, where 500 people were registered to vote, more than 2,000 votes were counted.
Felix Alaba Job, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference, cited massive fraud and disorganisation, including result sheets being passed around to politicians who simply filled in numbers as they chose while bribed returning electoral officers looked away.
said it was "deeply troubled" by election polls, calling them "flawed", and said it hoped the political parties would resolve any differences over the election through peaceful, constitutional means.
"Nigeria has once again failed to rise to the occasion... Size isn't enough... It is a failed giant," said prominent Ghana
ian economist Nii Moi Thompson. He compared its elections to those of Liberia in 2005, saying, "Even Liberia, which is coming out of war, had more credible elections than Nigeria."
"There is the saying: 'How goes Nigeria, so goes the rest of Africa'. To have this widespread abuse of the democratic initiative certainly doesn't do Africa any good," said Scott Baker, a professor at Champlain College
in the US city of Burlington
, Vermont
. "How can Nigeria sit at the meetings of the African Union
African Peer Review Mechanism
or ECOWAS and talk about other people's elections?" he asked.
Buhari and Abubakar filed petitions to have the results of the presidential election invalidated due to alleged fraud, but on February 26, 2008 a court rejected the petitions. Buhari and Abubakar said that they would appeal to the Supreme Court.
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) and was sworn in on 29 May. Election observers from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
described the elections as "the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world", with "rampant vote rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation."
Background
On May 16, 2006 the Nigerian Senate voted to block a constitutional amendment which would have allowed its president to serve more than two terms in office. President Olusegun Obasanjo thus could not pursue a third termThird Term Agenda
Third Term Agenda is a term which was used to describe alleged, controversial attempts by supporters of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to change the constitution to allow for a third term in office...
. Additionally he was unsupported by Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alias Turakin Adamawa, GCON was the Vice-President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is a Muslim native of Adamawa State, and was an influential member of the ruling People's Democratic Party until 2006 when he switched affiliation to the Action Congress party...
, his vice-president. Presidential candidates were announced in late December 2006, and 50,000 assault rifles were ordered to help the military maintain order during the election. Umaru Yar'Adua contested the election for the ruling People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP), and the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) chose Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
. Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alias Turakin Adamawa, GCON was the Vice-President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is a Muslim native of Adamawa State, and was an influential member of the ruling People's Democratic Party until 2006 when he switched affiliation to the Action Congress party...
, the current Vice-President, announced on 25 November 2006 that he would contest the election, and he subsequently became the presidential candidate of the Action Congress
Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria , formerly known as Action Congress , is a classical liberal Nigerian political party formed via the merger of the Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party...
in December.
States and governors
The PDP controls 28 of the 36 statesStates of Nigeria
Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The states are further divided into 774 Local Government Areas....
, but the largest city, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, has been in the hands of the Alliance for the Democracy (AD) since 1999.
| State | Population (Estimated in 2005) | Governor | Election Date | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abia State Abia State Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people... |
4,222,476 | Orji Uzor Kalu Orji Uzor Kalu Orji Uzor Kalu was the governor of Abia State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Prior to his election as governor he was Chairman of the Borno Water Board and of the Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited... |
29 May 1999 | PDP (Elected on the Platform of the PPA) |
| Adamawa State Adamawa State Adamawa is a state in northeastern Nigeria, with its capital at Yola. It was formed in 1991 from part of Gongola State with four administrative divisions namely: Adamawa, Ganye, Mubi and Numan. It is one of the thirty-six States which constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria.-Geography:Adamawa... |
3,737,223 | Boni Haruna Boni Haruna Boni Haruna was governor of Adamawa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:Boni Haruna was born on 12 June 1957... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Akwa Ibom State | 4,805,451 | Victor Attah Victor Attah Obong Victor Bassey Attah was governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Anambra State Anambra State Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is... |
7,821,858 | Peter Obi Peter Obi Peter Obi was governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from 17 March 2006 to 2 November 2006, when he was impeached and from 9 February 2007 to 29 May 2007 after his impeachment was overturned... |
17 March 2006 | APGA |
| Bauchi State Bauchi State Bauchi State is a State in northern Nigeria. Its capital is the city of Bauchi. The state was formed in 1976 when the former North-Eastern State was broken up... |
4,706,909 | Adamu Mu'azu Adamu Mu'azu Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu'azu was governor of Bauchi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Bayelsa State Bayelsa State Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,... |
1,998,349 | Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the... |
9 December 2005 | PDP |
| Benue State Benue State Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa... |
5,181,642 | George Akume George Akume George Akume is a Nigerian politician, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was governor of Benue State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and was then elected to the Senate.... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Borno State Borno State Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State... |
4,588,668 | Ali Modu Sheriff Ali Modu Sheriff Ali Modu Sheriff was elected governor of Borno State in Nigeria in April 2003. He is a member of the All Nigeria People's Party .Ali Sheriff was the first governor in Borno state to win the seat two consecutive times.-Background:... |
29 May 2003 | ANPP |
| Cross River State Cross River State Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state... |
3,104,446 | Donald Duke Donald Duke Donald Duke was the Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He received LLB degree in 1982 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria - Nigeria, the B.L in 1983 from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and the L.L.M... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Delta State Delta State Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi.... |
4,710,214 | James Ibori James Ibori James Onanefe Ibori was the Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was arguably the most vocal advocate for resource nationalism in Nigeria.... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Ebonyi State Ebonyi State Ebonyi State is a mainland south-eastern state of Nigeria, inhabited and populated primarily by Igbo of south eastern Nigeria. Its capital and largest city is Abakaliki. Afikpo is the second largest city. Other major towns are EDDA, Mgbo, Onueke, Ezzamgbo, Nkalagu, Uburu, Onicha, Ishiagu , Ukawu,... |
4,339,136 | Sam Egwu Sam Egwu Doctor Sam Ominyi Egwu is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party in Nigeria.He was Governor of Ebonyi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Ẹdo State Edo State Edo State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. Its capital is Benin City. It is bounded in the north and east by Kogi State, in the south by Delta State and in the west by Ondo State.-History:... |
3,497,502 | Lucky Igbinedion Lucky Igbinedion Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion was the governor of Edo State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion was born on 13 May 1957.... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Ekiti State Ekiti State Ekiti State is a state in southwest Nigeria, created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha... |
2,737,186 | Segun Oni | May 2007 | PDP |
| Enụgụ State Enugu State Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka.... |
5,590,513 | Chimaroke Nnamani Chimaroke Nnamani Chimaroke Nnamani is a Nigerian politician from Enugu State. He was Governor of Enugu State from 1999 to 2007 and is currently a People's Democratic Party Senator for Enugu East.-Education:... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Gombe State Gombe State Gombe State, located in the northeastern part of Nigeria, is one of the country's 36 states; its capital is Gombe. The boundaries of the state roughly correspond to those of the Gombe Emirate,a traditional state.[2]... |
2,448,236 | Mohammed Danjuma Goje Mohammed Danjuma Goje Mohammed Danjuma Goje was elected governor of Gombe State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2003... |
29 May 2003 | PDP |
| Imo State Imo State Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been... |
4,000,000 | Achike Udenwa Achike Udenwa Achike Udenwa born 1948 was the governor of Imo State in Nigeria. He became governor after winning the election in 1999. Udenwa won re-election in 2003, and his term ended on 29 May 2007.... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Jigawa State Jigawa State -Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the... |
4,988,888 | Saminu Turaki Saminu Turaki Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki is a Nigerian politician and former governor of Jigawa State in Nigeria. He was a Jigawa state chairman of SDP and UNCP .-Background:... |
29 May 1999 | ANPP |
| Kaduna State Kaduna State -History:The state is the successor to the old Northern Region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the area now part... |
4,849,075 | Ahmed Makarfi Ahmed Makarfi Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi is a Nigerian politician. He was governor of Kaduna State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007, and was elected Senator for Kaduna North in April 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Kano State Kano State Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west... |
10,077,751 | Ibrahim Shekarau Ibrahim Shekarau thumb|right|200px|[[Kano State]] in [[Nigeria]]Ibrahim Shekarau was elected Governor of Kano State in Nigeria April 2003, and reelected in April 2007. He is a member of the All Nigeria People's Party... |
29 May 2003 | ANPP |
| Katsina State Katsina State Katsina State is a state in northern Nigeria. Its capital is Katsina, and its governor is Ibrahim Shema, a member of the People's Democratic Party... |
6,483,429 | Umaru Yar'Adua | 29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Kebbi State Kebbi State Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of... |
3,630,931 | Adamu Aliero Adamu Aliero Muhammad Adamu Aliero was governor of Kebbi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party .He became Senator for Kebbi Central from June 5, 2007 till December 18, 2008.... |
29 May 1999 | ANPP |
| Kogi State Kogi State Kogi state is found in the central region of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because the confluence of River Niger and River Benue is at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria.... |
3,595,789 | Ibrahim Idris Ibrahim Idris Ibrahim Idris Adejo is a Nigerian businessman who was elected Governor of Kogi State in Nigeria in April 2003 and reelected in April 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:... |
29 May 2003 | PDP |
| Kwara State Kwara State Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba and Fulani minorities.- History :... |
2,591,555 | Bukola Saraki Bukola Saraki Abubakar Bukola Saraki was elected governor of Kwara State, Nigeria in 29 May 2003, holding office for two terms. In the April 2011 elections, he was elected Senator for Kwara Central, succeeding his sister, Gbemisola Saraki-Forowa.... |
29 May 2003 | PDP |
| Lagos State Lagos State Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the... |
10,601,345 | Bola Tinubu Bola Tinubu Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007... |
29 May 1999 | AC |
| Nasarawa State Nasarawa State Nasarawa State is a state in central Nigeria. Its capital is Lafia.-History:Nasarawa was created on 1 October 1996 by the Abacha government from the Plateau State.-Geography:... |
2,040,097 | Abdullahi Adamu Abdullahi Adamu Abdullahi Adamu was governor of Nasarawa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:Abdullahi Adamu was born at Keffi, Nasarawa State, on July 23, 1946... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Niger State Niger State Niger State is a state in the western part of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State.The state is named... |
4,082,558 | Abdulkadir Kure Abdulkadir Kure Abdulkadir Kure was governor of Niger State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .In May 2000, he introduced Sharia law in Niger State.-Personal life:... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Ogun State Ogun State Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state... |
4,054,272 | Gbenga Daniel Gbenga Daniel Gbenga Daniel is a Nigerian politician,and Governor of Ogun State of Nigeria since 29 May 2003. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party and the owner of the Nigerian Compass, a daily newspaper.-Background:... |
29 May 2003 | PDP |
| Ondo State Ondo State Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:... |
4,011,407 | Olusegun Mimiko Olusegun Mimiko Olusegun Mimiko is the current governor of Ondo State, Nigeria. He was born on 3 October 1954, to Pa and Mrs. Atiku Bamidele Mimiko of Ondo, Ondo State. His great, great grandfather was the High Chief Adaja Gbegbaje of Ondo. His great grandfather, Chief Akinmeji, was the distinguished Ruwase of... |
14 April 2007 | LP |
| Ọsun State Osun State Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was... |
4,137,627 | Olagunsoye Oyinlola | 29 May 2003 | PDP |
| Ọyọ State Oyo State Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin.... |
6,617,720 | Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja | 7 December 2006 | PDP |
| Plateau State Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries totally surround the Jos Plateau, having the Jos Plateau totally in its central and northern part... |
3,553,440 | Michael Botmang Michael Botmang Chief Michael Botmang , former Plateau state deputy governor, was sworn in as governor of Plateau State following the impeachment of Chief Joshua Dariye on 13 November 2006.... |
13 November 2006 | PDP |
| Rivers State Rivers State Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states... |
5,689,087 | Peter Odili Peter Odili Peter Otunuya Odili was the thirteenth Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Sokoto State Sokoto State Sokoto State is located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million... |
4,244,399 | Attahiru Bafarawa Attahiru Bafarawa Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa was governor of Sokoto State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.-Early career:He was a local government councillor in charge of Education... |
29 May 1999 | ANPP |
| Taraba State Taraba State Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:... |
2,688,944 | Jolly Nyame Jolly Nyame Jolly Tavoro Nyame was Governor of Taraba State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He also served as governor of the state from January 1992 to November 1993. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party -References:... |
29 May 1999 | PDP |
| Yobe State Yobe State Yobe State is a state located in Northern Nigeria. A mainly agricultural state, it was created on August 27, 1991. Yobe state was carved out of present-day Borno State. The capital of Yobe state is Damaturu.-Geography:... |
2,532,395 | Bukar Ibrahim Bukar Ibrahim Alhaji Bukar Abba Ibrahim was governor of Yobe State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He also served as governor of the state from January 1992 to November 1993. He is a member of the All Nigeria People's Party .... |
29 May 1999 | ANPP |
| Zamfara State Zamfara State Zamfara State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Gusau and its Governor is Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party . Until 1996 the area was part of Sokoto State.... |
3,602,356 | Ahmed Sani Yerima | 29 May 1999 | ANPP |
Abubakar eligibility
The Independent National Electoral CommissionIndependent National Electoral Commission
The Independent National Electoral Commission , set up in 1998, is the electoral body which was set up to oversee elections in Nigeria.The INEC has encountered several controversies in the run-up to the April 2007 general elections, including criticism about its preparedness from Sada Abubakar,...
(INEC) declared Abubakar ineligible to run due to fraud charges. A High Court had ruled that the commission could not disqualify candidates, but INEC claimed that the constitution barred candidates from running if indicted. Another superior court, the Court of Appeal, ruled in favour of the Electoral Commission by saying that it has powers to disqualify candidates. Abubakar attempted to get on the ballot via court challenge. In a case that came before the apex court, the court ruled that INEC has no constitutional powers to disqualify any candidates for the election, clearing the way for Abubakar to run. The Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Nigeria
The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court.-Overview:In 1963, the...
, the country's highest judicial body, confirmed this ruling and reaffirmed Abubakar's candidacy.
Adebayo Adefarati
Adebayo Adefarati
Adebayo Adefarati was a Nigerian politician and a former governor of Ondo State Nigeria.Prior to becoming Governor of Ondo State, Adebayo Adefarati was appointed twice as commissioner under the late Yoruba and Afenifere Leader Pa. Michael Adekunle Ajasin...
, the candidate of the small Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
, died shortly before the election on 29 March 2007. This raised the possibility of the election being delayed, as the law provides for a delay under the circumstances if requested by the party that had nominated the candidate; however, a spokesman for INEC said that the election would not be delayed. He said that the party could nominate a replacement candidate.
Attacks
NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n military killed at least 25 suspected Islam
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
ic militants 18 April, while battling extremists who attacked a police station on 17 April in Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, days before the election. Shortly before voting began on 21 April, there was an alleged attempt in Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,...
to kill Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
, who is the PDP vice-presidential candidate and the governor of the state, as well as a failed attempt to destroy INEC headquarters in Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
with a truck bomb.
Nigeria has never yet managed a peaceful handover from one democratically elected president at the end of his constitutional term to the next. The most recent failed election was the 1993 election of M. K. O. Abiola, which was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
, the military dictator ruling at the time. General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
eventually seized power, and when Abiola tried to claim his presidency, he was imprisoned until his questionable death in 1998.
After the death of Chief M.K.O Abiola
Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly results
The ruling PDP won 26 of the 32 states, according to INEC, including Kaduna StateKaduna State
-History:The state is the successor to the old Northern Region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the area now part...
and Katsina State
Katsina State
Katsina State is a state in northern Nigeria. Its capital is Katsina, and its governor is Ibrahim Shema, a member of the People's Democratic Party...
, where the results were contested by the local population; the election will have to be rerun in Imo State
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
and Enugu State
Enugu State
Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka....
due to complications. By the last count, Obasanjo's PDP party had won 29 of 33 states so far declared, with Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
describing the vote-rigging as "shameless".
Presidential election vote and results
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
the presidential election. On 19 April, however, both Buhari's ANPP and Abubakar's Action Congress said that they would not boycott the election.
The 60 million presidential election ballot papers were kept in South Africa to prevent tampering. However, last-minute changes to add Abubakar to the list caused problems in distribution of ballots as papers did not arrive from South Africa until Friday evening. The reprinted papers were not serially numbered as was intended.
Results
Official figures on voter turnoutVoter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
were not released but the turnout was estimated at 57.5 percent of 61.5 million registered voters.
The first results to be released, from Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, showed a large majority for Yar'Adua. On April 23, Yar'Adua was declared the winner by INEC, which said that he had received 70% of the vote (24,638,063 votes). Buhari was said to be in second place with 18% of the vote (6,605,299 votes), while Abubakar was placed third with about 7% (2,637,848 votes). Both Buhari and Abubakar rejected the results. The opposition candidates believe the election was rigged in Yar'Adua's favor.
Outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo stated in a televised address that the election "could not be described as perfect".
Results, announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu
Maurice Iwu
Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu is a Nigerian Professor of Pharmacognosy who was appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission in June 2005, and was removed from office in April 2010.-Background:...
, were:
The results did not disclose the total votes scored in the states or the percentages of the scores by the presidential candidates.
Yar'Adua was inaugurated on 29 May 2007.
Reactions
Ikimi and Amusu, the representatives of the AC and the ANPP at the INEC Collation Centre in Abuja, denounced the results announced by the INEC Chairman. According to Ikimi, "In states like Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa Ibom etc., we know that the elections did not start even as late as 5 pm. The results collated showed that over 80 percent of the votes being counted in favour of the PDP and they are totally flawed. In most of the states, only the Resident Electoral Commissioners and the PDP Agents signed the results. We have been here since yesterday (Sunday) to observe this collation and we only collated eleven states and the INEC Chairman just rushed down to declare the results and declare Umoru Yar’Adua as the winner."According to Ikimi, "The result sheets we viewed so far was not signed by any of our agents at the state level. They were only signed by Resident Electoral Commissioners and only the PDP agents."
Also, Admiral Lanre Amusu who represented the ANPP at the INEC collation centre concurred what Chief Tom Ikimi said. "I am in total agreement with what Chief Ikimi has just said. Only results from 13 states and they were collated and signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the States and the PDP Agents. Our agents did not sign these results."
The national chairman of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Chief Olu Falae, with leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Action Congress (AC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), National Advance Party (NAP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP), has called for the setting up of an Interim National Government to conduct credible elections in the country. Falae explained that the country needed an ING to guard against the emergence of the military on the political scene.
The Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation claimed that the INEC deliberately left 70 percent of the ballot papers in a warehouse in Johannesburg, South Africa. They claimed that the contractors could have freighted the entire 200-ton consignment into the country three days before the election (Thursday) but the INEC told them to bring only 30 percent of the ballot papers.
Nigeria's Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka
Akinwande Oluwole "Wole" Soyinka is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, where he was recognised as a man "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence", and became the first African in Africa and...
said the West should deny entry visas to election commissioner Maurice Iwu for his "complicity in the fraudulent elections." He said he has heard of the financial prudence and moral uprightness of Yar'Adua. "I wish he [Yar'Adua] would carry his decency even further by publicly renouncing this poisoned chalice to say: 'I'm not a receiver of stolen goods'."
Observers
Following the presidential election, groups monitoring the election gave it a dismal assessment.Chief European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
observer Max van den Berg reported that the handling of the polls had "fallen far short" of basic international standards, and that "the process cannot be considered to be credible", citing "poor election organisation, lack of transparency, significant evidence of fraud, voter disenfranchisement, violence and bias." They described the election as "the worst they had ever seen anywhere in the world", with "rampant vote rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation". One group of observers said that at one polling station in Yenagoa, in the oil-rich south, where 500 people were registered to vote, more than 2,000 votes were counted.
Felix Alaba Job, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference, cited massive fraud and disorganisation, including result sheets being passed around to politicians who simply filled in numbers as they chose while bribed returning electoral officers looked away.
International reaction
A spokesman for the United States Department of StateUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
said it was "deeply troubled" by election polls, calling them "flawed", and said it hoped the political parties would resolve any differences over the election through peaceful, constitutional means.
"Nigeria has once again failed to rise to the occasion... Size isn't enough... It is a failed giant," said prominent Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian economist Nii Moi Thompson. He compared its elections to those of Liberia in 2005, saying, "Even Liberia, which is coming out of war, had more credible elections than Nigeria."
"There is the saying: 'How goes Nigeria, so goes the rest of Africa'. To have this widespread abuse of the democratic initiative certainly doesn't do Africa any good," said Scott Baker, a professor at Champlain College
Champlain College
Champlain College is a private, coeducational college located in Burlington, Vermont. It offers professionally focused programs that incorporate an interdisciplinary core curriculum. In addition to its main campus, the College maintains study-abroad campuses in Montreal and Dublin, and offers...
in the US city of Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. "How can Nigeria sit at the meetings of the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
African Peer Review Mechanism
African Peer Review Mechanism
The African Peer Review Mechanism is a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by the member states of the African Union as a self-monitoring mechanism...
or ECOWAS and talk about other people's elections?" he asked.
Legal challenge
In July 2008, the Labour Party governorship candidate in Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko was declared the lawful winner of the election by the Election Petition Tribunal thereby nullifying the election of PDP candidate, Dr Olusegun Agagu.Buhari and Abubakar filed petitions to have the results of the presidential election invalidated due to alleged fraud, but on February 26, 2008 a court rejected the petitions. Buhari and Abubakar said that they would appeal to the Supreme Court.