Shagari is reelected amid fraud claims and violence

In August 1983, President Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) secured a second term in elections marked by widespread allegations of electoral fraud and outbreaks of violence across multiple states. The elections were conducted under Nigeria's Second Republic, which had been established in 1979 after military rule ended. Opposition parties, particularly the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) led by Obafemi Awolowo, strongly contested the results and accused the ruling NPN of massive vote rigging and manipulation of the electoral process.

The 1983 elections took place against a backdrop of severe economic difficulties, including falling oil revenues, rising unemployment, and growing public dissatisfaction with government performance. Nigeria's economy had been hit hard by the global oil glut, reducing the petroleum revenues that had fueled government spending during the oil boom years. Political tensions were already high due to ethnic and regional divisions, with many Nigerians viewing the NPN as dominated by northern interests while southern opposition parties felt marginalized in the federal system.