Nigeria: Jonathan Takes Lead in Ruling Party Primaries
By Eric Sande
ABUJA---Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan became a victor in the ruling party primaries on Friday 7 ahead of April elections. This incorporated the largely Muslim north, making him a distinct preferred candidate for next president.
Jonathan pulled in 2,736 votes compared to805 for his main challenger, ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar trouncing him in all but a handful of the country's 36 states.
The winner of the primary will be the favourite in the April 9 presidential election being viewed as one of the most important in the history of Africa's most populous nation.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won every presidential election since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.
"The People's Democratic Party has spoken with one strong voice ... Our people have chosen the unity of our country above all other considerations," Jonathan, dressed in his trademark fedora and caftan-like attire, said in an acceptance speech.
Jonathan, a southern Christian, inherited the presidency in May when his predecessor, Umaru Yar'Adua, a northerner, died last year during his first term. Some factions in the PDP said only a northerner should complete what would have been Yar'Adua's second term.
Abubakar, 64, a businessman and a long time political player from the northern Hausa ethnic group noted for his wealth and ability to work the levers of power, had hoped to win overwhelming support in the north. He won in some northern states such as Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara but lost in other key areas including Kaduna, Katsina and Kwara.That lack of consistency suggests hopes of a strong northern alliance to challenge Jonathan at the elections may be fading.
The April vote is being viewed as one of the most important in the country's history, testing Nigeria's ability to organise a credible poll after a series of violent and deeply flawed ballots that has led to a series of blasts and subsequent clashes killing more than 80 in the central city of Jos, the scene of frequent bursts of ethnic and religious unrest.