People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)

The People's Democratic Party is the ruling political party in Nigeria. It handily won the elections of 1999 and 2003. It is the largest party in the Parliament of Nigeria, with 213 of 360 representatives, and 73 of 109 senators. The leader of the party is current President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Despite denials, and despite the fact that some of the PDP's most senior officials and office-holders are Moslems (including Nigeria's Vice-President, Alhaji Akitu Abubakar), the party draws most of its support from the predominantly Christian southern states. It polled well in the Moslem North in 1999, but lost considerable ground there in 2003, whilst at the same time strengthening its hold on the South. Hardline Moslems accuse the PDP of being a Christian party, a charge that its Moslem supporters, including Abubakar, are attempting to counteract.