Abuja: Eight new governors have been
elected in Nigeria`s gubernatorial polls while 12 retained
their seats even as the ruling party PDP has been swept out of
the southwest region, including the nation`s economic capital
Lagos.
While results from three states are pending and one
state inconclusive. The elections were held in 24 out of the
36 states on April 26.
The governor of the country`s economic capital of
Lagos, Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) was re-elected even as his party won two southwestern
states of Ogun and Oyo earlier controlled by the PDP. The ACN
has its stronghold in the southwest.
Nonetheless, the ruling party was able to reclaim
Kano, a very populous state in the north earlier controlled by
opposition, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and hold on to
southeastern and all the Niger Delta states announced so far.
Two states where riots took its highest tolls last
week after the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan,
Kaduna and Bauchi are holding their polls today.
Supporters of former military dictator, General
Muhammadu Buhari, a rival candidate who lost to Jonathan had
taken to the street and killed not less than 500 people
injuring and displacing many.
Jonathan, a Christian from the south is a member of
ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Buhari, a Muslim
from the north is of the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC).
Buhari`s party won only in the northern state of
Nasarawa State, losing to PDP in Katsina and Kano where he has
many followers.
Nigeria, a country of 150 million people returned to
democracy after many years of military rule in 1999.
PTI
