ta, Ebonyi, Edo,
Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,
Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger,
Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

Independence:
1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)

Constitution:
new constitution adopted May 1999

Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern
states), and traditional law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote for no more than two
four-year terms; election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held
NA 2007)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of
vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%,
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from
each state plus one from Abuja, members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (346 seats,
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA
2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to
be held NA 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%,
ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP
27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD
34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of
Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice
of the Advisory Judicial Committee)

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu ABDULKADIR]; All Nigeria
Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand
Alliance or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE]; National Democratic Party or NDP
[Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples De