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Election Date: April 21, 2007

At stake: President

Background

In 1914, Nigeria became a British Colony and Protectorate. The country would attin its independence on Oct. 1, 1960, becoming part of the Commonwealth of Nations as well as a member of the United Nations (UN).

Nigeria counts more than 250 different ethnic groups. Among the largest ones are the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Ibo. Half of the population is Muslim, 40 per cent is Christian and 10 per cent is considered as following indigenous beliefs. Its wide diversity has been blamed for constant ethnic and religious-related conflicts.

In 1963, the country became a republic. Nnamdi Azikiwe was Nigeria's first president. On the years that followed and until fairly recently, a series of military coups and civil unrest reigned in the West African nation. The military ruled the country from 1966 to 1979 and from 1984 to 1999.

In 1967, a civil war broke out when the eastern region, predominantly Ibo, separated from Nigeria and created the country of Biafra. Three years of fighting and massive starvation passed before Biafrans surrendered to Nigerians.

During the 1980s, but only for a short period, Nigeria became an Africa success story thanks to an impressive performance during the oil boom and the return of peace and civil rule after the dictatorship. The second period of military rule in Nigeria, however, saw the oil wealth spent irresponsibly through rampant corruption. Nowadays, the developing country still struggles to recover from a legacy of a weak economy and human rights abuses.

In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), was elected president of Nigeria. Although highly popular at the beginning of his first term—he was reelected in 2003—Obasanjo's government faced allegations of corruption, and the country's economy and infrastructure have evolved little since he took office.

Oil, which is Nigeria's primary export, still brings a significant amount of wealth to the country, which shows one of the world's largest wealth gaps. The commodity has become the source of violent outbreaks in the Niger Delta, where poor workers and villagers protest against their low incomes and living conditions. An armed group called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta People (MEND) has attempted to violently force the withdrawal of every foreign oil company. Some national indicators, like a 68 per cent illiteracy rate, show a current Nigeria that few would have imagined in the 1980s.

2007 Presidential Election

On Aug. 29, Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) confirmed that he will not seek a third term in office—which is constitutionally forbidden—and said the presidential election would take place on Apr. 21, 2007.

Vice-president Atiku Abubakar and former ruler Ibrahim Babangida were seen as possible presidential candidates, but the list of prospective contenders included Obasanjo's adviser Jerry Gana, Rivers State governor Peter Odili, Ebonyi State governor Sam Egwu, and former ambassador Elizabeth Ogbon-day.

In December, the ruling PDP selected Muslim state governor Umaru Yar'Adua as its presidential nominee. His running mate will be Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian governor.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) picked Pat Utomi as its candidate, and Muhammadu Buhari will represent the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). Buhari, who governed briefly from December 1983 to August 1985 after a coup, lost to Obasanjo in 2003.

On Dec. 21, Abubakar became the presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC). Abubakar spokesman Shehu Garuba discussed the situation, saying, "As you can see, the PDP has literally shut its door against the vice-president for reason perhaps only the president can explain. (...) So it follows that the vice-president should seek another avenue through which he can realize his own political aspirations."

On Mar. 15, 2007, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared 24 presidential candidates, and left Abubakar out of the running because he failed to meet "constitutional requirements" after being indicted on corruption charges

On Mar. 22, six parties assembled in the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN) called for the resignation of INEC chairman Maurice Iwu, adding, "We demand that INEC be reconstructed in consultation with political parties so as to ensure that the commission would not only have its image enhanced, but its capacity to conduct a free and fair elections come April 2007."

On Mar. 28, Alliance for Democracy (AD) presidential candidate Adebayo Adefarati passed away.

On Apr. 4, Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed disappointment with the political process so far, and said the election will be marred by "violence, intimidation and fraud." HRW researcher Chris Albin-Lackey said the current administration failed to establish "the basic foundations for a free and fair election."

On Apr. 5, the Economic Community of West Africa States (Ecowas) announced that 200 people would participate in their observer mission. This group will be the largest ever deployed by Ecowas to an election.

On Apr. 8, Obasanjo discussed the electoral process, saying, "The Nigerian police and all other security agencies have been placed on full alert to clamp down heavily on any persons who engage in actions that threaten our collective desire for trouble-free elections in the coming days."

On Apr. 13, Obasanjo again warned about unrest, saying, "Let me assure all Nigerians that the federal government will leave no stone unturned in vigorously checking and sanctioning any acts of violence and thuggery and other excesses calculated to disturb the peace or disrupt the elections."

On Apr. 16, the Nigerian Supreme Court ruled that the INEC cannot disqualify candidates. The decision effectively reinstates Abubakar in the list of contenders for the presidential election. On Apr. 17, INEC spokesman Philip Umeadi confirmed Abubakar's presence of the ballot.

On Apr. 19, INEC spokesman Segun Adeogun ruled out a delay, saying, "The election is holding; no doubt about it." U.S. State Department spokesperson Julie Reside urged all parties to be vigilant and respect the constitutional process, adding, "Evidence of wrongdoing should be brought to the attention of authorities and all parties should cooperate in the peaceful resolution of disputes through appropriate legal means."

On Apr. 20, Obasanjo urged for a clean process, saying, "The world is watching us and we cannot afford to disappoint ourselves, our friends and the world. I appeal to our local and international observers to understand some of our limitations as a complex developing nation and not to exaggerate the negative and thereby throw out the baby with the bath water."

Voting took place on Apr. 21. Many polling stations failed to open on time, and others closed several hours earlier than originally announced. In addition, stolen ballot boxes, as many as 50 murders, and even an attempt to blow up the INEC headquarters were reported.

After casting his ballot, Obasanjo declared: "Those who do not want these elections to take place, they have left no stone unturned to make sure it does not hold."

Buhari urged all candidates to steer clear of making any victory statements, citing "many irregularities" in the election. Abubakar was also concerned, saying, "In every state where the party has a large followership, INEC deliberately ensured inadequate supply of voting materials."

Official results released on Apr. 23 placed Umaru Yar'Adua of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in first place with more than 24.6 million votes, followed by Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) with 6.6 million, and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) with 2.6 million.

European Union (EU) observers reported that close to 200 people were killed in election-related violence, described the ballot as a "charade", and stated that any administration that resulted would lack legitimacy. Dutch observer Max van den Berg declared: "The 2007 state and federal elections have fallen short of basic international and regional standards for democratic elections and the process cannot be considered to be credible." The opposition has called for the election's annulment.

On Apr. 26, Yar'Adua defended his victory, saying, "I believe I won this election fair and square." Yar'Adua was scheduled to take office on May 29.

On May 28, a nationwide strike organized by opposition protesters began. Deputy Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leader Nuhu Toro explained the rationale, saying, "We want to tell the world, we want to tell Nigerians that the elections were massively rigged."

On May 29, Yar'Adua was sworn in, declaring, "Our experiences have presented an opportunity to learn from our mistakes." The new president has vowed to create jobs, end the violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, and strengthen the police force.

Political Players

President: Umaru Yar'Adua - PDP
Vice-president: Goodluck Jonathan - PDP

The president is elected by popular vote to a four-year term.

Legislative Branch: The Parliament has two chambers. The House of Representatives has 360 members, elected to four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 109 members, elected to four-year terms in 36 three-seat constituencies, and one seat in a single-seat constituency.

Results of Last Election:

President - Apr. 21, 2007

House of Representatives - Apr. 12, 2003
(Results from 346 of the 360 constituencies)

Senate - Apr. 12, 2003
(Results from 107 of the 109 constituencies)

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