2003 Nigerian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 19 April 2003. The incumbent, Olusegun Obasanjo, was re-elected as the president of Nigeria. Supported by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he defeated Muhammadu Buhari, a former military head of state during the 1980s, who was backed by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), as well as 18 other opponents. Voter turnout stood at a little over 69% — the highest ever since the end of military rule in 1999.

The elections were the first to be held under a civilian government in 20 years, and were seen as an important step on the path towards democratic consolidation. Most observers regarded their conduct as relatively peaceful and credible, with security that was better than expected. However, they were marred by allegations of fraud and vote rigging. Election observers turned in conflicting reports, with those from the European Union reporting that the elections were "marred by serious irregularities and fraud," while observers from the Commonwealth praised the election, reporting that "a genuine and largely successful effort was made to enable the people to vote freely." The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Abel Guobadia, rejected the vote rigging claims and defended the integrity of the election.

Following his re-election, Obasanjo gave a televised address where he thanked voters, praised the PDP as "Africa's greatest party", and urged his rivals to be "good sportsmen." Meanwhile, Buhari, who warned of "mass action" in case of electoral misconduct prior to the polls, threatened to withhold recognition of the new government. Eventually, Buhari and the ANPP went to court to challenge the results, claiming that Obasanjo's re-election was rigged and illegal. They sought to block him from assuming office, but this was rejected by the Nigerian Courts of Appeal led by Umaru Abdullahi. Ultimately, Obasanjo was sworn in for his second term on 29 May 2003.