How Nigerians voted in the 2007 presidential election
The 2007 presidential election was so corrupt even the winner admitted it was flawed.
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua won the controversial 2007 presidential election with record numbers
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The top candidates were Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), who lost his second presidential election, and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) who had just finished an eight-year tenure as vice-president.
What was so bad about the 2007 presidential election?
The election witnessed so many electoral malpractices that even President Olusegun Obasanjo and Yar'Adua, the winner, admitted it was flawed.
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The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the time, Maurice Iwu, took local and international flak for how he conducted the election.
The total number of votes he announced as the result of the election was different from the total later published on the INEC website, with a disparity of nearly 28,000 votes.
61.6 million voters registered for the election and approximately 58% voted, but INEC didn't provide data for the voter turnout.
More bizarrely, the Iwu-led INEC never produced a state-by-state breakdown of the results, the only presidential election with this distinction. The total number of votes won by Yar’Adua also remains the highest ever scored by any candidate.
Here's how Nigerians reportedly voted for president in 2007.
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This is the result Iwu announced:
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (PDP) — 24,638,063 (69.60%)
Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP) — 6,605,299 (18.66%)
Atiku Abubakar (AC) — 2,637,848 (7.45%)
Orji Uzor Kalu (PPA) — 608,803 (1.72%)
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Attahiru Bafarawa (DPP) — 289,224 (0.82%)
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (APGA) — 155,947 (0.44%)
Pere Ajuwa (AD) — 89,241 (0.25%)
Christopher Okotie (FRESH) — 74,049 (0.21%)
Patrick Utomi (ADC) — 50,849 (0.14%)
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Asakarawon Olapere (NPC) — 33,771 (0.10%)
Ambrose Owuru (HDP) — 28,519 (0.08%)
Arthur Nwankwo (PMP) — 24,164 (0.07%)
Emmanuel Okereke (ALP) — 22,677 (0.06%)
Lawrence Adedoyin (APS) — 22,409 (0.06%)
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Aliyu Habu Fari (NDP) — 21,974 (0.06%)
Galtima Liman (NNPP) — 21,665 (0.06%)
Maxi Okwu (CPP) — 14,027 (0.04%)
Sunny Okogwu (RPN) — 13,566 (0.04%)
Iheanyichukwu Nnaji (BNPP) — 11,705 (0.03%)
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Osagie Obayuwana (NCP) — 8,229 (0.02%)
Olapade Agoro (NAC) — 5,752 (0.02%)
Akpone Solomon (NMDP) — 5,664 (0.02%)
Isa Odidi (ND) — 5,408 (0.02%)
Aminu Abubakar (NUP) — 4,355 (0.01%)
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Mojisola Adekunle Obasanjo (MMN) — 4,309 (0.01%)
This is the result INEC posted, a result that omitted ADC’s Patrick Utomi:
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (PDP) - 24,784,227 (69.96%)
Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP) - 6,607,419 (18.65%)
Atiku Abubakar (AC) - 2,567,798 (7.25%)
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Orji Uzor Kalu (PPA) - 608,833 (1.72%)
Attahiru Bafarawa (DPP) - 289,324 (0.82%)
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu - Ojukwu (APGA) 155,947 (0.44%)
Pere Ajuwa (AD) - 89,511 (0.25%)
Chris Okotie (FRESH) - 74,049 (0.21%)
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Asakarawon Olapere (NPC) - 33,771 (0.10%)
Ambrose Owuru (HDP) - 28,518 (0.08%)
Arthur Nwankwo (PMP) - 24,164 (0.07%)
Emmanuel Okereke (ALP) - 22,592 (0.06%)
Lawrence Adedoyin (APS) - 22,459 (0.06%)
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Aliyu Habu Fari (NDP) - 21,974 (0.06%)
Galtima Liman (NNPP) - 21,665 (0.06%)
Maxi Okwu (CPP) - 14,027 (0.04%)
Sunny Okogwu (RPN) - 13,566 (0.04%)
Iheanyichukwu Godswill Nnaji (BNPP) - 11,705 (0.03%)
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Osagie Obayuwana (NCP) - 8,229 (0.02%)
Olapade Agoro (NAC) - 5,692 (0.02%)
Akpone Solomon (NMDP) - 5,666 (0.02%)
Isa Odidi (ND) - 5,408 (0.02%)
Aminu Abubakar (NUP) - 4,355 (0.01%)
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Mojisola Adekunle Obasanjo (MMN) - 4,309 (0.01%)
Note: ADC candidate, Pat Utomi, was completely missing from the result on the INEC website.
Political parties
AC - Action Congress
AD - Alliance for Democracy
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ADC - African Democratic Congress
ALP - African Liberation Party
ANPP - All Nigeria People's Party
APGA - All Progressives' Grand Alliance
APS - African Political System
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BNPP - Better Nigeria Progressive Party
CPP - Citizens Popular Party
DPP - Democratic People's Party
FRESH - Fresh Democratic Party
HDP - Hope Democratic Party
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MMN - Masses Movement of Nigeria
NAC - National Action Council
NCP - National Conscience Party
ND - New Democrats
NDP - National Democratic Party
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NMDP - National Majority Democratic Party
NNPP - New Nigeria Peoples Party
NPC - Nigeria People's Congress
NUP - National Unity Party
PDP - People's Democratic Party
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PMP - People’s Mandate Party
PPA - Progressive People's Alliance
RPN - Republican Party of Nigeria
*Data sourced from African Elections Database due to the absence of verified data from INEC.
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