Party primaries

PDP

The People's Democratic Party held its presidential primaries on 5 October 2018, at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Thirteen aspirants contested for the ticket of the PDP, with Atiku Abubakaremerging the winner.

APC

Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was selected as the sole candidate of the All Progressives Congress party primaries held on 29 September 2018. Other candidates included:

• Chike Ukaegbu, founder of Startup52, is the presidential candidate of AAP.
  
• Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, is the presidential candidate of the SDP.
  
• Fela Durotoye, motivational speaker and presidential candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria.
  
• Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and leader of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign. She ended her campaign on January 24, 2019 to combine support with other candidates to support a bid against APC and PDP.
  
• Tope Fasua, founder and National Chairman of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party.
  
• Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State.
  
• Sule Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa State.
  
• Ahmed Makarfi, former chairman of the People's Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee.
  
• Obadiah Mailafia, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and candidate of the African Democratic Congress.
  
• Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the CBN and Professor of Practice at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
  
• Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, oil business mogul and presidential candidate for the Peoples Trust.
  
• Remi Sonaiya, member of the KOWA Party and former university lecturer.
  
• Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner and publisher of news website Sahara Reporters.
  
• Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, former Minister of Special Duties.
  

Presidential debates

A presidential and vice-presidential debate was organised by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), with invitations extended to five of the 78 presidential candidates. The Debate Group explained the exclusion of other candidates as a measure to ensure the effectiveness of the debate and not an endorsement of the candidates chosen.

The vice presidential debate was held on 14 December 2018, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotels in Abuja. All invited vice presidential candidates were present, with candidates discussing their health, education, security and foreign affairs policies.^[34][35]

The presidential debate occurred on 19 January 2019, and took place at the same venue. The two leading presidential contestants were absent, with Atiku Abubakar leaving the venue upon discovering that Muhammadu Buhari was absent. Fela Durotoye (ANN), Oby Ezekwesili (ACPN) and Kingsley Moghalu (YPN) continued the debate, while criticising the absence of the others. Mark Eddo moderated the debate.

Conduct

Immediately following the elections there were claims of widespread fraud by the opposition. The claims included accusations of ballot box snatching, vote-trading and impersonation. There were also claims that caches of explosives were found by police.

The African Union said the elections were "largely peaceful and conducive for the conducting of credible elections." The electoral commission also described the elections as mostly peaceful.

Results

President

The results of the presidential election were announced in the early hours of 27 February 2019.

By state