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2003 Nigerian presidential election

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2003 Nigerian presidential election

← 1999 19 April 2003 2007 →
 
Nominee Olusegun Obasanjo Muhammadu Buhari
Party PDP ANPP
Running mate Atiku Abubakar Chuba Okadigbo
States carried 25 + FCT 11
Popular vote 24,456,140 12,710,022
Percentage 61.94% 32.19%

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]

Background

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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

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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

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Olusegun ObasanjoPeople's Democratic Party24,456,14061.94
Muhammadu BuhariAll Nigeria Peoples Party12,710,02232.19
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OjukwuAll Progressives Grand Alliance1,297,4453.29
Jim NwobodoUnited Nigeria People's Party169,6090.43
Gani FawehinmiNational Conscience Party161,3330.41
Sarah JubrilProgressive Action Congress157,5600.40
Ike NwachukwuNational Democratic Party132,9970.34
Chris OkotieJustice Party119,5470.30
Balarabe MusaPeople's Redemption Party100,7650.26
Arthur NwankwoPeople's Mandate Party57,7200.15
Emmanuel OkerekeAll People's Liberation Party26,9210.07
Kalu Idika KaluNew Nigeria People's Party23,8300.06
Muhammadu Dikko YusufMovement for Democracy and Justice21,4030.05
Yahaya NduAfrican Renaissance Party11,5650.03
Abayomi FerreiraDemocratic Alternative6,9320.02
Tunji BraithwaiteNigeria Advance Party6,7270.02
Iheanyichukwu Godswill NnajiBetter Nigeria Progressive Party5,9870.02
Olapade AgoroNational Action Council5,7560.01
Pere AjuwaLiberal Democratic Party of Nigeria4,4730.01
Mojisola Adekunle-ObasanjoMasses 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

References

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  1. ^ Elections in Nigeria African Elections Database