2007 Nigerian general election

==Background==
On 16 May 2006 the Nigerian Senate voted to block a constitutional amendment which would have allowed its president to serve more than two terms in office.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051600705.html "Nigerian Senate Blocks Bid for 3rd Presidential Term"], ''Washington Post ''. 16 May 2006.</ref> President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]] [[Third Term Agenda|thus could not pursue a third term]]. 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.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6183845.stm "Nigeria party picks its candidate"], ''BBC News''. 17 December 2006.</ref> [[Umaru Yar'Adua]]  was the candidate of the ruling [[People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)|People's Democratic Party]] (PDP), and the opposition [[All Nigeria Peoples Party]] (ANPP) featured [[Muhammadu Buhari]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6205876.stm "The candidates to be Nigeria's leader"], ''BBC News''. 22 December 2006.</ref> [[Atiku Abubakar]], the incumbent Vice-President, announced on 25 November 2006 that he would contest the election,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6184156.stm "Nigeria VP to run for president"], ''BBC News'', 25 November  2006.</ref> and he subsequently became the presidential candidate of the [[Action Congress]] in December.<ref>[http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=qw1166719141680A165 "Nigerian president withdraws VP's jet in feud"], Reuters (''IOL''), 21 December 2006.</ref>