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afrol News, 3 June - Nigeria has just marked its three years of its restoration of democracy, but Nigerians are already looking towards next year's presidential elections. Seven presidential candidates have already announced their participation and the preparation of the poll is a daily headline issue in the local press. President Olusegun Obasanjo may get the sensation of serving his notice during his last 6-10 months in office, as the electoral campaign unofficially has already begun. Obasanjo himself lately is making statements on economic policies, reforms political violence, crime and other matters of popular interest at a steadier pace. Six candidates have already announced they will run against President Obasanjo. These include one former Senate President (Chuba Okadigbo), one former military ruler (Mohammadu Buhari), one former rebel leader (Odumegwu Ojukwu), one former Speaker of the House of Representatives (Edwin Ume-Ezeoke), one popular Lagos lawyer (Gani Fawehinmi) and one prominent northern politician (Umaru Shinkafi). Meanwhile, Nigeria's myriad of political parties is preparing to participate in next year's poll. Some parties are merging to stand a better chance; others are splitting up as the political debate is becoming more intense. Newcomers and new formations are queuing to seek registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in time. Further, 27 political associations are currently suing INEC on the ground that the Commission allegedly has no powers to conduct the exercise of party registration. Time being, it's President Obasanjo against the rest, as the incumbent is a clear favourite to next year's polling exercise. The opposition candidates complain on the non-payment of salaries to workers, bloody civil clashes, greater division between north and south, failed economic policies, the lack of federal control, too much federal control and the ethnic misrepresentation in leading offices. Several southern peoples, notably the Igbo, say it's time for other ethnic groups in the country to fill the highest office of the state. The President has used the marking of three years of democracy well to sell the achievements his government has made. All in all, important gains had been made in governance and socio-economic terms. Nigeria had also returned to be an important international player and focal point amongst developing nations. The big hopes released by the restoration of democracy had however been exaggerated, given the devastated situation the country was in after 15 years of military dictatorships. Most important, democracy had gained a solid ground during the last three years. Obasanjo, however small his government's achievements may seem to some, in any case has one big advantage compared to his rival candidates. The President is unifying Nigerians in spite of increasing ethnic divisions. In 1999, he was the first Nigerian President to be elected lacking support from his immediate constituency and receiving votes from all over the country. Obasanjo has also been careful not to alienate any ethnic group during his presidency. Therefore, most Nigerian observers expect Obasanjo to win the first poll round outright, given the politic and ethnic split of the
opposition. Sources: Based on Nigerian
press reports and afrol archives
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