Presidential election: The moment is here

Nigerians will elect a new president today. Millions will vote at about 120 000 polling units across the country.

A candidate needs majority vote and twenty five percent of votes in two third of the States to win. If all fall short of these, there will be a run-off between the top two.

There are three leading candidates.

Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan is the flag bearer of the ruling People’s Democratic Party. (PDP) - in power since 1999. Opinion poll favours Jonathan. His party won majority of seats in National Assembly elections.

General Muhammadu Buhari, former Head of State and candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is another strong contender. Observers say he might be the one to slug it out with Jonathan, in case of run-off although his party under-performed in the National Assembly elections.

Nuhu Ribadu, candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and anti-corruption crusader, is also strongly in the race. His party was second to PDP in the National Assembly
elections providing the basis for optimism by the supporters.

Other visible candidates in the election include Ibrahim Shekarau, current Governor of Kano State and flag bearer of the All Nigeria people’s Party (ANPP). He was well rated for his performance during the presidential debates.

Mrs Ebiti Onoyom Ndok of the United National Party for Development (UNPD), the only female of the seventeen presidential candidates running, will be counting heavily on sympathy votes from her fellow women.

Whoever emerges the winner at the end of the day will have a hard task convincing the now-very-politically-conscious Nigerians that they have not misplaced their votes.