President Jonathan Declared Winner of Nigeria's Presidential Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Attahiru Jega has in the last few minutes declared Goodluck Jonathan as the President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He won 25% of all votes in 31 states of the federation including the FCT.

The Presidential Election Results as announced by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega are as follows:

ACN - 2,079,151
ADC - 51,682
ANPP - 917,012
APS - 23,740
ARP - 12,264
BMPP - 47,272
CPC - 12,214,853
FRESH - 34,331
HDP - 12,023
LDPM - 8,472
MPPP - 16,492
NCP - 26,376
NMDP - 25,938
NTP - 19,744
PDC - 82,243
PDP - 22,495,187
PMP - 56,248
PPP - 54,203
SDMP - 11,544
UNPD - 21,203

Total valid votes: 38,209,978
Total rejected votes: 1,259,506
Total votes cast: 39,469,484

President Jonathan beat his main rival Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Jonathan - a Christian from the oil-producing Niger Delta - was the clear front-runner among several candidates who went into the race. His main opponent Buhari, a former military ruler, is from the Muslim north.

Nigerians turned out in large numbers at polling centers across the country Saturday in what they hoped will be the first credible presidential election for decades in Africa's most populous nation.

There was no sign of the chaos and violence that has dogged past elections although two bombs panicked voters in the troubled northeastern city of Maiduguri. There were no reports of casualties.

Local and International observers have lauded the country's INEC for a job well-done, with all agreeing the polls were free, fair and generally peaceful despite pockets of incidents in a few centers. The African Union observer and former President of Ghana John Kuffuor said the election was free and fair but cumbersome.

Not surprisingly though, bearing in mind the average Nigerian politician's lust for power at all cost, some opposition parties have already began to protest the results.

Jonathan came to power last year when his predecessor died in office following a lengthy illness. The former governor of southern Bayelsa state was born into a family of canoe makers in the riverine town of Otuoke situated in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. He is the first president to come from the Southern minority group that has been agitating for resource control since petroleum exploration started in the early seventies.

Jonathan will be sworn-in on May 29 to serve a four-year tenure after which he is free to go for a second term.
Nigeria with a population of 150 million is divided between a largely Muslim North and mostly Christian South.

The oil-rich country returned to democratic system in 1999 after several years of military rule. It has conducted elections every four years since then. This is the third time general elections are being held in Nigeria since military rule ended. The previous ones - in 2003 and 2007 - were marred by allegations of widespread rigging, voter intimidation and ballot vote snatching.

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