As I write, President Goodluck Jonathan is virtually certain to be declared Nigeria’s elected President, a victory that bestows political legitimacy, as for the first time in his fortuitous career, Jonathan wins office on his own merit and secures the mandate for transformation he sought from the Nigerian people.

The win is historically significant as Jonathan welds a new political majority out of Southern minorities, Northern middle-belt, South-East and South-West, and sufficient Hausa-Fulani support to earn the constitutionally-required 25% in several North-West and North-East states. Jonathan is the first Niger-Deltan, and second Southerner after Obasanjo (does MKO Abiola count?) elected Nigerian leader. Jonathan ends the era of dominance of politics by generals whose Nigerian worldview was shaped by 1966 and civil war, and brings a new, FRESH template to Nigerian politics.

He may however yet have to overcome the final stirrings of the old Nigeria, before we can fully enter the new!
Those of us who condemned Jega after the huge flop of April 2, 2011 may now have to deliver a public apology, and I do so now! INEC rectified the problems in my polling unit 017 in Lekki and my neighbours and I finally voted in the landmark election. However the gubernatorial elections remain, on Tuesday April 26, 2011 and this week, charity begins from home, as I focus on the governorship battles in the Lagos, Ogun and Oyo where gubernatorial and state assembly elections will take place and Ondo, Ekiti and Osun, which will conduct only state assembly polls.

[b]The elections will be fought between Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now evidently the dominant regional party; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since reduced to minority status in the region; Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), out-going Governor Gbenga Daniel’s vehicle for fighting the Ogun battle; former Oyo State Governor, Rasheed Ladoja’s Accord Party; and incumbent governor Olusegun Mimiko’s Labour Party in Ondo.ACN has legacy franchise, electoral momentum, grassroots support, strong strategic leadership from former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the exceptional performance of Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) as strong selling points; PDP has lost credibility due to the sleight-of-hand ex-President Obasanjo played to “conquer” the region in 2003 and the party subsequently squandered the opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the people; PPN will be desperate to retain Ogun, but is unlikely to overwhelm its two more established opponents-PDP and ACN-with a possibility of those two in fact combining against PPN, given ACN candidate Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s previous relationship with Obasanjo; Accord Party has made a strong showing in Oyo and is likely to win several house seats, and challenge strongly for the governorship; of course Labour is likely to dominate the Ondo legislative elections.[/b]

Lagos State-“Bebe nlo”

Lagos is a straight fight between incumbent Fashola of ACN and PDP’s Dr Ade Dosunmu. Fashola served as Chief of Staff to Tinubu, was subsequently elected governor, and is acclaimed by most accounts as best performing governor in the whole federation! Fashola has recorded successes in road construction, transportation and infrastructure, environment, security, social services (education, health etc) and has ambitious plans of transforming Lagos into “Africa’s model mega city” in the areas of infrastructure and transportation, housing, urban planning and development, amongst others. His opponent, Dosunmu is not a bad candidate, but the advantages of continuity, excellent first term performance of Fashola and ACN’s profile in the state will sway most voters to re-elect Fashola.

The enduring campaign jingle of 2011 (apart from “my friend Jona…”) will be “…Lagos State ko ni baje o, ko ni baje o; ipinle Eko ko ni daru o; e wo ayika yin, ewo bo se nrewa; opelope Fashola, to fun wa leto to da; se water project ni kaso, abi free health mission; emi a dibo mi fun Fashola o, ma a dibo fun Fashola o; to ri bebe o ti tan o; bebe si nlo, Fashola nsise lo; bebe si nlo…”. May the “bebe” continue!!!
Ogun State-“SIA”

The contestants ACN’s Amosun, PPN’s Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and General Adetunji Olurin of PDP are all good candidates-Amosun is a chartered accountant and former Senator from Abeokuta; Isiaka a chartered accountant and banker from Yewa, is Daniel’s preferred successor; and Olurin is a distinguished decorated general from Yewa and Obasanjo’s choice. The National Assembly results confirm ACN’s popularity and the elections are likely to be decided on a strict party line vote favouring Amosun. Amosun will benefit from the division within PDP/PPN ranks and state demographics and is the only real politician in the contest, previously elected Senator, and may in fact have won the 2007 governorship elections. Amosun is more likely to prevail.
Oyo State-“Mandate”

The Oyo battle is between Ladoja of Accord, incumbent Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of PDP and Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the ascendant ACN. Many Yorubas regard Akala’s occupation of the Oyo governorship as a travesty and desecration of a seat once occupied by Chief Awolowo. One indigene, a friend argues passionately that adjusted for resource availability, Akala must be the worst governor in the whole federation! Ladoja, a former one-term governor, was essentially forced out of office by Obasanjo and seemed naïve about power. Ajimobi, an MBA, former Nestle and Shell manager and CEO of Conoil Plc is probably best-placed to govern Oyo State, and even though Ladoja offers a credible alternative, I hope Ajimobi wins!


http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/analysis/columnists/20667-the-south-west-governorships

SW needs to perform the same magic it did on April 9th.

^well said!

Wait to see the calibre of theives the igbos will present in the next dispensation.

Orji, ohakim,elechi. . .these guys are really pathetic and Anit-progress, with exception of chime.

Hope to God more North states say bye to PDP as well. PDP controlled army on the streets might be a problem though.

I see more trouble if PDP RIG again though smh. And I dont see how they can keep control if they dont rig. If you loose governors. There will be no magic numbers say 1.2 million PDP vote in Kaduna in 2015. haha.

BTW any map off the National assembly elections? what party was voted and where ?

Nadanbata:

Hope to God more North states say bye to PDP as well. I see more trouble if PDP RIG again though smh.


BTW any map off the National assembly elections? what party was voted and where ?

Sadly, the PDP in the North continues to mislead its people. "Persuading" them, adults and CHILDREN to vote for PDP.

This is a recent geographical analysis of the elections carried out last saturday.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/426470_nigeria_elect_624_2011_2_gif039a1c2ab8950ea35226677551189053


will brb with April 9th election map

Ileke-IdI:

Sadly, the PDP in the North continues to mislead its people. "Persuading" them, adults and CHILDREN to vote for PDP.

This is a recent geographical analysis of the elections carried out last saturday.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/426470_nigeria_elect_624_2011_2_gif039a1c2ab8950ea35226677551189053


will brb with April 9th election map

Not the presidential one. The national assembly vote.

This time CPC seems to have the support though. But im not so sure how much work they have put in on the Governors elections.

Nadanbata:

Not the presidential one. The national assembly vote.

This time CPC seems to have the support though. But im not so sure how much work they have put in on the Governors elections.

I know.

There was another map that illustrated the distribution of national parties across Nigeria. It was posted a while ago, searching for it.

CPC have support where? Only in the Northern section of Nigeria. ACN will most likely take the SW, PDP in the SS/MB.

Ileke-IdI:

I know.

There was another map that illustrated the distribution of national parties across Nigeria. It was posted a while ago, searching for it.

CPC have support where? Only in the Northern section of Nigeria. ACN will most likely take the SW, PDP in the SS/MB.

Yes thats where im talking at least everbody weaken PDP in their own area, so when 2015 comes we can vote them out with our own MAGIC Numbers. if SS/SE want to vote PDP in governor, GoodLuck to them. 

Nadanbata:

Yes thats where im talking at least everbody weaken PDP in their own area, so when 2015 comes we can vote them out with our own MAGIC Numbers. if SS/SE want to vote PDP in governor, GoodLuck to them. 

LOL Na true o.

Oya, kini original ID e?

I think the votes of personality accorded President Goodluck Jonathan be replicated in the south west zone for a better tomorrow of our fatherland. Those governors who do not live up to expectations be swept out while credible leaders should replace them regardless of the political parties.

Ajimobi, Amosun and Fashola all the way.

Lagos is working, Fashola is working, Ogun state is sleeping, OGD is snoring, Oyo State is fading, Akala is bleaching.

doctorT:

Ajimobi, Amosun and Fashola all the way.

Lagos is working, Fashola is working, Ogun state is sleeping, OGD is snoring, Oyo State is fading, Akala is bleaching.

and wearing jewellery most Iya Oge would envy . I will be a happy and fulfilled man when Ajimobi, Amosun and Fashola win.

Gbawe:


and wearing jewellery most Iya Oge would envy . I will be a happy and fulfilled man when Ajimobi, Amosun and Fashola win. 

those jewellery could create 20,000 jobs!

Gbawe:


and wearing jewellery most Iya Oge would envy . I will be a happy and fulfilled man when Ajimobi, Amosun and Fashola win. 

dosunmu's plan is not to win the guber, but to win some LSHA sits so as to continously ground the govt!