>From: "London" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "Kelechi" <[log in to unmask]>
>Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 23:45:27 +0000
>
>
>
>The much awaited, much talked about Nigeria's presidential election has
come and gone. And a winner has emerged.
>
>He is a comeback army general, Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian
leader
>and a farmer. He won by a landslide, far beyond the expectations of
pundits and poltical opponents who had predicted a close race.
>
>In some states, where there was a great political awareness, Nigerians
came out in large numbers, while in some states, there was general voter
apathy as represented in the total votes cast in the states. General
Olusegun Obasanjo, clearly the favourite put up a good showing in the
north while he lost in all the 6 states of the Southwest for the fourth
time. Obasanjo won his local council in Ogun State, even though Chief
Olu Falae still coast home to victory with 332,340 votes as against
Obasanjo's 143,564 votes.
>
>Falae therefore garnered 70 per cent of the votes cast in Ogun State.
The highest votes secured in any state was recorded in Lagos state where
APP's candidate, Chief Olu Falae recorded 1,542,969 votes, representing
88 percent of the total votes cast. Here Obasanjo merely netted 209,012
representing a paltry 12 percent of the total votes cast.
>
>The closest showing to Lagos by way of total votes cast was recorded in
Katsina state where General Obasanjo got 1,294,676 representing over 80
per cent. Here, Chief Falae polled 154,534 to earn just 17.4 percent of
the total votes cast.
>
>The APP found it difficult to win in some of the northern states it had
won in previous elections. Such states include Jigawa and Gombe.
>
>In Jigawa State, APP polled 237025, representing 24.6 percent of the
total votes cast. Similarly, in Gombe State where the APP won the guber
polls convincinly last January, it lost by a wide margin to PDP as the
PDP presidential candidate polled 533,158 while his APP candidate polled
311,381 votes which represent 36.9 percent.
>
>One reason perhaps for this was the fact that those who campaigned for
General Obasanjo in the North always stressed at every campaign forum
that he (Obasanjo) was the only one that could be trusted and that he
was hated in the Southwest because "he had refused to be a pro-Yoruba
leader". This proved a very strong selling point among the Hausa/Fulani.
One other reason given for this is the fact that some APP chieftains
developed bad faith against the AD/APP alliance and refused to work
towards its success.
>
>For example, in Kebbi State, the governor-elect was reported to have
>announced that people could vote for a party of their choice, instead
of urging them to vote for his own party. This attitude was a fallout of
the APP presidential primaries which threw the party into crisis.
>
>In the North, it was also said that there was little awareness campaign
to strenghten the alliance. As a result many of the votes meant for
Falae were voided. In Kano State for example more than 36,368 votes went
to the Alliance for |Democracy.
>
>This was in addition to the fact that at the last minute, Alhaji
Abubakar Rimi, went on Radio Nigeria Kaduna where he described Chief
Falae as a tribalist and urged northerners not to vote for him. In Kano,
while Obasanjo scored 682,255 representing 72.13 percent, Chief Falae
won 222,458 votes.
>
>He was unable to secure the mandatory 25 percent of the votes cast. He
nicked 23.52 percent. The battle was indeed close in Kogi State where
the PDP candidate scored 507,903 as against 476,807 garnered by the APP
candidate. Falae's performance in Kaduna state was abysmally poor.
>
>He polled 381,350 votes, as against 1,294,679 recorded by Obasanjo. Yet
it will surprise some that the same Falae recorded votes well in excess
of 25 per cent in Bauchi state. Dr. Olusola Saraki's decision to switch
over to PDP obviously affected the outcome of the election in Kwara
state as the PDP won by a landslide. The greatest surprise at the
election was the manner the PDP retained its hold on all the states in
the |South East, despite the threats of massive voter revolt. At the
time of going to press, Obasanjo has won in 24 states, while the APP
candidate won in only 8 states.
>
>
>
>Ade Atobatele
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>
>


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