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NIGERIA - ELECTION BACKGROUND |
Following the death of General Sani Abacha in June of last year, the new government of General Abdusalami Abubakar vowed to return the nation to civilian rule. Three parties (the People's Democratic Party, the All People's Party and the Alliance for Democracy) qualified to take part in the state and national elections by winning five percent of the vote in 24 of Nigeria's 26 states.
The People's Democratic Party is Nigeria's largest party. It is made up of political veterans and retired generals, including many whom opposed General Abacha and some who served in his government. In recent national elections, the PDP won 61 seats in the 109 seat Senate and 203 seats in the 360-member House of Representatives. The PDP backed General Obasjano in the recent presidential elections.
The All People's Party is the nation's second largest party. Disparagingly referred to as "Abacha's People's Party" by its opponents, the APP is largely comprised of the wealthy business people and politicians who supported the former military dictator. In recent national elections, the APP won 22 Senate seats and 63 House seats.
The left-leaning Alliance for Democracy, the third political party, mainly draws its support from the Yoruba of Nigeria's southwest. It picked up 20 Senate seats and 67 House seats in the recent elections. In an attempt to bolster their electoral chances, the APP joined forces with the Alliance for Democracy. Despite their ideological differences as well as ethnic divide, the two parties backed former finance minister Olu Falae for president in an effort to defeat the PDP.