Nigeria News:

Eight new governors elected in Nigeria

Updated on Thursday, April 28, 2011, 21:54

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   (.zeenews.com)

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