Nigerians Elect Goodluck Jonathan as New President

Nigerians Elect Goodluck Jonathan as New President
Qasim Akinreti, Lagos and Uche Aneke, Abuja

Over 22 million Nigerians have elected Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Presidential candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

Professor Attahiru Jega,  Chief Returning Officer and Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  said at the Presidential Collation Centre, Electoral Institute, Central District area of Abuja,  that Dr Goodluck Jonathan scored 22, 495,187 votes to defeat his main rival Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change who recorded 12, 214,853 votes at last Saturday’s presidential election.

Dr Jonathan has met the constitutional requirement of securing the highest number of votes, as well as 25 per cent of votes cast in 24 states including the federal capital territory-Abuja.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria and Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, came second and third respectively.

The figures 

In  statistical terms, , the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled  22,495,187; Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) 12,214,853; All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) 917,012; and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) 2,079,151. The total valid votes are 38,209,978 out of 73 million registered voters, representing about 50 per cent voter turn-out.

Jonathan polled 59.64 per cent of the votes cast; Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (CPC) 32.28 per cent; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (ACN) 5.54; and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP) 2.43 per cent. The law requires a simple majority or 51 per cent.

Analysis

The PDP’s Presidential candidate  won in 23 states, including 16 out of the 17 Southern states and seven Northern states — Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba – and FCT.

He also scored 25 per cent or more in 31 states and FCT, surpassing the constitutional requirement of at least a quarter of the votes cast in at least 24 states. The spread is national.

However, in Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Yobe, Jonathan did not meet the 25 per cent requirement.

The CPC candidate, Buhari, won in 12 states — all in the North.

The states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger and Jigawa, Kebbi and Sokoto. He met the 25 per cent requirement in 12 states, with Nasarawa and Taraba being the additional states even though he was not the winner there.

However, he scored less than 25 per cent in 24 states, including all Southern states and four Northern states – Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Plateau.

The candidate of the ACN, Ribadu, won in only one state, Osun, while that of the ANPP, Shekarau, did not win in any state. In fact, Shekarau did not meet the 25 per cent requirement in any state.

All opposition parties refused to sign the election results document except the PDP.

Jega said there was room for claims and objections for any agent or party not satisfied about the announced results.

Reactions

The Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party, one of the opposition parties in Nigeria, has congratulated the president elect on the success at the polls.

He urged him to lead Nigeria to an enviable position among the committee of nations.

Earlier on Sunday, before the release of the results,   Muhammadu Buhari, CPC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, ANC and Ibrahim Shekarau, ANPP, pledged to accept the results as the wishes of the electorate.

Pockets of violence have however since been recorded in Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa and a few other northern States. The government has imposed a curfew on Kaduna, the home state of Vice President Namadi Sambo, whose house was reported to have been burnt down by irate youths protesting what they called the rigging of the presidential election.

Warning

In a swift reaction, the Defence Headquarters issued a statement in Abuja, the nation’s capital, warning perpetrators of violence to desist or face the wrath of the law.

The statement said the defence authorities would not sit by and watch innocent Nigerians being attacked.

The Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, Afiz Ringim had also warned that perpetrators of violence in any part of Nigeria would be delt with.

Also, President Jonathan has called on the political leaders especially the contestants in the last Saturdays presidential election to prevail on their supporters to stop further violence in the interest of the country.

Jonathan appealed to those involved to stop the unnecessary and avoidable conduct, more so at this point in time when a lot of sacrifice has been made by all the citizens of Nigeria  in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

He called on Nigerians to  remain calm, law abiding and patriotic at this very crucial moment of the nations history adding that the country was encouraged by the comments of the independent election monitors and observers both domestic and international which described the presidential election as transparent and credible.

The presidential candidate of CPC, General Muhammadu buhari had also, called on the protesters to stop the coilence and be law abiding.

Ekata.