AFP - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan took out a big lead Sunday in the presidential race, winning in at least 20 of the 36 states, and could win the first round in this election, whose effectiveness has been praised overall by observers.
The final results of the election on Saturday, known in 30 states, gave Mr. Jonathan winner in 20 states, while its main rival, former junta leader Muhammadu Buhari, won the votes in 9 states, and Nuhu Ribadu, who led the anti-corruption agency in Nigeria, was leading in the State.
Voting took place Saturday in a relative calm, with sporadic incidents that have not made a victim.Observers have generally welcomed the successful conduct of this election, which marks a positive break after a series of fraudulent elections.
"There is consensus that this is a new beginning, after irregularities in the 2007 presidential election," said Clement Nwankmo, coordinator of a local group of observers.
"The election was held in conditions even better" than as laws of April 9, already felt Saturday Slovene Alojz Peterle, head of the mission of the European Union.
The known results include those officially announced by Abuja those reported by the states themselves and, finally, those of local media and NGOs.
To win, the candidate with the most votes must also obtain at least a quarter of the votes in at least two-thirds of the 36 states or 24 states, in the words of the Constitution.
Nigeria, most populous country in Africa with 155 million inhabitants, has 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and that includes its surroundings.
Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President became head of state in May 2010 following the death of his predecessor Umaru Yar'Adua (2007-2010), a Muslim, a Christian South, candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP).This party dominates the political scene and won the first round every presidential since 1999.
Elected vice president in 2007, Jonathan is a doctor of zoology 53 years old, known for constantly wearing the hat.
The country has had such a new electoral register containing the electronic fingerprints of more than 73 million subscribers. The previous list was riddled with ghost voters.
A coalition of local observers nevertheless reported irregularities concerning the voting of voters minors, the unusually high turnout and suspicions of ballot stuffing important.
Partial results of the election were also emerge a clear division between the Muslim north, which voted for the former military junta leader (1984-1985) Muhammadu Buhari, and the Christian south favor Goodluck Jonathan, waving the spectrum of religious and ethnic divisions.
Muhammadu Buhari was reported Saturday in "news of election fraud, ballot stuffing in some places."
Tensions have arisen in the North where voters were afraid of fraud from the camp of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) Goodluck Jonathan.
"There is good news and bad news in this presidential election. The good news is that we count actual votes and people are interested.The bad news is that the country is seriously divided, North against South, "said Chidi Odinkalu, the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Many analysts had warned against this scenario in a country as turbulent as Nigeria, which has more than 250 ethnic groups.
In the Muslim north, many believe that the reelection of Jonathan would be a breach of an unwritten rule in the People's Democratic Party (PDP), providing for rotation of power between North and South.
The final results of parliamentary April 9 have not yet been proclaimed. April 26 will be the elections of state governors and regional assemblies.
