Jack Layton vs Umaru YarAdua

Jack Layton was elected federal leader of the New Democratic Party at the party's convention in Toronto. He succeeded Alexa McDonough and began revitalizing the party's electoral fortunes, shifting it toward a more centrist and pragmatic approach.

Layton announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer but stated it was treatable and he would continue leading the NDP through the upcoming election. He underwent surgery and returned to work, maintaining his public schedule.

In the 2011 federal election, the NDP under Layton won 103 seats, becoming the Official Opposition for the first time in party history. The breakthrough was driven by the 'Orange Wave' in Quebec, where the NDP won 59 seats.

Layton announced he had been diagnosed with a new, aggressive form of cancer and would step down as NDP leader to focus on treatment. He died shortly after, on August 22, 2011, prompting a national outpouring of grief.

Umaru Yar'Adua won the April 2007 presidential election as the candidate of the People's Democratic Party. The election was widely criticized by domestic and international observers for widespread fraud and irregularities, but Yar'Adua was inaugurated on May 29, 2007.

Yar'Adua initiated a presidential amnesty program for militants in the Niger Delta region in June 2009. The program offered disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration in exchange for an end to attacks on oil infrastructure, leading to a significant reduction in violence.

Yar'Adua died on May 5, 2010, after a prolonged illness. His death triggered a constitutional crisis as he had been absent from the country for medical treatment for months, leading to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assuming acting powers before eventually becoming president.