On this day in history, April 16, Osun Defender travels back to Saturday, April 16, 2011 when Presidential elections were held in Nigeria.
The election followed controversy as to whether a northerner or southerner should be allowed to become president given the tradition of rotating the top office between the north and the south after the death of Umaru Yar’Adua, a northerner, when Goodluck Jonathan, another southerner assumed the interim presidency.
Immediately after the election, widespread violence erupted in the northern parts of the country. The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman and Chief Returning Officer, Prof. Attahiru Jega at 8:32pm Monday, April 18th, 20111 declared the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan as the winner of Saturdays Presidential election.
Jega said that Jonathan scored 22, 495, 187 votes; Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate scored 2,790,151 votes; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari scored 12, 214,853 votes while ANPPs candidate, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau scored 917,012 votes.
According to Jega, total votes cast is 39, 469, 484 votes.
However, only the PDP representative signed the final results as declared by the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Jega also said that with regards to requirement of the Electoral Act for a candidate to emerge winner, he must score a minimum of 25 per cents in two/thirds of the 36 states and the FCT.
The ACN candidate, Nuhu Ribadu scored a minimum of 25 percent in 4 states: Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states.
Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC scored 25 percent in 16 states; Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT, Abuja.
Jonathan scored 25 percent of votes in 31 states: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna,Kebbi,Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and the FCT, Abuja .
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
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