2007 Nigerian general election

==Candidates==

The [[Independent National Electoral Commission]] (INEC) declared Abubakar ineligible to run due to fraud charges. A High Court had ruled that the commission could not disqualify candidates, but INEC claimed that the constitution barred candidates from running if indicted.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=National Democratic Institute|title=Final NDI Report on Nigeria's 2007 Elections|publisher=National Democratic Institute for International Affairs|year=2008|location=Abuja, Nigeria|pages=10, 22, 23, 58}}</ref> Another superior court, the [[Nigerian Courts of Appeal|Court of Appeal]], ruled in favour of the Electoral Commission by saying that it has powers to disqualify candidates.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} Abubakar attempted to get on the ballot via court challenge. In a case that came before the apex court, the court ruled that INEC has no constitutional powers to disqualify any candidates for the election, clearing the way for Abubakar to run. The [[Supreme Court of Nigeria|Supreme Court]], the country's highest judicial body, confirmed this ruling and reaffirmed Abubakar's candidacy.<ref>[http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL16130845.html "Nigerian court rules in favour of VP Abubakar"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128214719/http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL16130845.html |date=2008-01-28 }}, Reuters, 16 April 2007</ref>

[[Adebayo Adefarati]], the candidate of the small [[Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)|Alliance for Democracy]], died shortly before the election on 29 March 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2007-03-29|title=Nigeria death fails to halt poll|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6507813.stm|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> This raised the possibility of the election being delayed, as the law provides for a delay under the circumstances if requested by the party that had nominated the candidate; however, a spokesman for INEC said that the election would not be delayed.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/29/africa/AF-POL-Nigeria-Elections.php "Nigerian presidential candidate from small party dies"], Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 29 March 2007.</ref> He said that the party could nominate a replacement candidate.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6507813.stm "Nigeria death fails to halt poll"], BBC News, 29 March 2007.</ref>