As Nigerians head to their various polling centers today to elect a new president and their representatives in the national assembly, analysts will focus on mainly the South West region of the country, which is expected to swing votes in favour of either candidates depending on the contestant with the higher figure in the region.
The South West region of Nigeria is home to the Yoruba tribe although it is also well populated by Nigerians from other regions as the Yorubas are very accommodating group of people. They Yorubas are known for their very high political consciousness and they have been very active in Nigeria’s political process from time immemorial.
Today’s election will literally be determined by the region as Nigeria’s predictable voting pattern suggests that the regions will vote along ethnic or religious lines as the case maybe.
While Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to sweep majority of the votes in the North-East and North-West, incumbent, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is expected to get majority votes in the South-South and South-East region. Both candidates are expected to have a fair share of the votes in the North-Central region also known as “Middle Belt”.
But the South-West is the real battle ground for both candidates. It is widely expected that whoever wins the majority votes in the region will have the upper hand in today’s polls. President Jonathan’s frequent visits to the region during the elections date extension period suggests the president and his team are aware of the strategic role the region plays in determining the result of today’s election.
It is important to note that Jonathan’s last minute efforts to gain ground in the region paid off. He got the endorsement of key decision leaders like the factional president of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, some influential traditional rulers, showbiz personalities, youth and women groups e.t.c
But whether these endorsements will have an impact on the election results remain to be seen. The APC candidate has also perfected his plans as far as the region is concerned. Buhari’s foot soldiers in the region are political heavy weights who have a grasp of the Yoruba’s political orientation.
It is expected that the two leading political parties will make last minute efforts to woo so many citizens even till this morning in order convince them to vote for their candidates.
One can only hope that the parties adhere to the rules of electoral engagement in passing their messages across to the citizens.
Meanwhile, accreditation has already commenced this morning in various polling units across the nation as Nigerians file out in their numbers to cast their votes later today.
Today’s election will literally be determined by the region as Nigeria’s predictable voting pattern suggests that the regions will vote along ethnic or religious lines as the case maybe.
While Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to sweep majority of the votes in the North-East and North-West, incumbent, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is expected to get majority votes in the South-South and South-East region. Both candidates are expected to have a fair share of the votes in the North-Central region also known as “Middle Belt”.
But the South-West is the real battle ground for both candidates. It is widely expected that whoever wins the majority votes in the region will have the upper hand in today’s polls. President Jonathan’s frequent visits to the region during the elections date extension period suggests the president and his team are aware of the strategic role the region plays in determining the result of today’s election.
It is important to note that Jonathan’s last minute efforts to gain ground in the region paid off. He got the endorsement of key decision leaders like the factional president of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, some influential traditional rulers, showbiz personalities, youth and women groups e.t.c
But whether these endorsements will have an impact on the election results remain to be seen. The APC candidate has also perfected his plans as far as the region is concerned. Buhari’s foot soldiers in the region are political heavy weights who have a grasp of the Yoruba’s political orientation.
It is expected that the two leading political parties will make last minute efforts to woo so many citizens even till this morning in order convince them to vote for their candidates.
One can only hope that the parties adhere to the rules of electoral engagement in passing their messages across to the citizens.
Meanwhile, accreditation has already commenced this morning in various polling units across the nation as Nigerians file out in their numbers to cast their votes later today.
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