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What happened when Obasanjo, Buhari and Ojukwu battled for Nigeria's top seat?

How Nigerians voted in the 2003 presidential election | Pulse Nigeria

Samson Toromade

<h2>Four years after a direct contest between two candidates for Nigeria's biggest political prize, the 2003 presidential election attracted a total of 20 candidates but only three of them fought for the bulk of the votes.</h2>

In his pursuit of a second term as president, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/obasanjo-says-he-could-have-got-third-term-if-he-wanted-it/1cwgw8p">Olusegun Obasanjo</a> won the ticket of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) again.

Olusegun Obasanjo was Nigeria's president between 1999 and 2007

After a chaotic reign as a military ruler in the 1980s, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/buhari-what-should-nigerians-expect-from-presidents-next-level/qjzgcn9">Muhammadu Buhari</a> made his first crack at becoming a democratic president, as the flagbearer of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP).

Starting in 2003, Muhammadu Buhari lost three presidential elections before he finally won in 2015 [Bernard Menigault/Alamy]

President Muhammadu Buhari [Bernard Menigault/Alamy]

Decades after leading a civil war to split the southeast region from Nigeria, <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/communities/student/biafras-hero-anambra-renames-state-university-after-ojukwu-3-years-after-his-death/fsxtws6">Odumegwu Ojukwu</a>, looked to the ballot as an option for him to lead the country, as the candidate of the All Progressives' Grand Alliance (APGA).

Odumegwu Ojukwu finished a distant third when he contested for Nigeria's top seat [Daily Post]

For the 2003 presidential election, 60.8 million Nigerians registered to vote, and 42 million (69.1%) voted, with 2.5 million of the votes invalid.

This is how Nigerians voted in each state.

Buhari — 1,043,442 (62.1%)&nbsp;

Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari and Odumegwu Ojukwu were the frontrunners for the 2003 presidential election

How Nigerians voted in the 2003 presidential election

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