Nigeria's Presidential Election in Pictures

President Goodluck Jonathan is declared the winner.

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The Challenger: Muhammadu Buhari - Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari first came to power in a 1983 coup. His regime executed drug dealers, returned looted state assets and sent soldiers to the streets with whips to enforce traffic laws. His "war against indiscipline" won many followers, though his regime detained journalists critical of the government and laws were passed allowing indefinite detention without trial, according to the Associated Press. Despite his recent assurances that he is a convert to multi-party democracy, some worry the perennial candidate could return to his autocratic ways. Still, the 69-year-old Muslim has drawn thousands to his rallies across Nigeria's dissatisfied North. (Photo: AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
The Challenger: Ibrahim Shekarau - Ibrahim Shekarau is a former teacher and educator who has served as the governor of Kano state in Nigeria's North. Under the 55-year-old’s administration his state saw officials stop giving polio vaccinations to the young over unfounded fears the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize Muslims. (Photo: Courtesy of Ibrahim Shekarau)The Challenger: Nuhu Ribadu - Borrowing from President Obama's 2008 campaign slogan, Nuhu Ribadu based his platform on change. The former police official gained prominence in Nigeria after being appointed as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Ribadu, 50, pursued top politicians in the country, though critics say he targeted Obasanjo's opponents. Ribadu once estimated that corruption has cost Nigeria more than $380 billion since gaining its independence from Britain in 1960. After Yar'Adua came to power, officials reduced Ribadu's police rank. He fled the country in 2008 after what his lawyer described as a drive-by shooting. A Muslim from Adamawa state, Ribadu is the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, the country's strongest opposition party, though his campaign has been plagued by missteps. (Photo: Courte...

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The Incumbent and Winner: Goodluck Jonathan - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan cast his ballot in Otuoke. Jonathan, the incumbent and ruling party candidate, is often called an "accidental president," according to the Associated Press. The soft-spoken 53-year-old marine biologist became governor of Bayelsa state after the impeachment of its elected governor. Jonathan later became vice president under elected Muslim leader Umaru Yar'Adua after a widely criticized 2007 election. Yar'Adua left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia in late 2009. A power vacuum stalled the country for months until lawmakers voted to give Jonathan presidential powers in February 2010. Jonathan became president in May 2010 after Yar'Adua's death. Known for wearing the traditional caftan and bowler hat of his Niger Delta home, Jonathan is a Christian of the minority Ijaw ethnic group. (Photo: AP Photo/Godwin Omoigui)

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