STAGE SEEMS SET FOR A #CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP..AS BUHARI IN COMFORTABLE LEAD....

The stage seems set for a #change of leadership in the nation’s polity with results of the weekend’s presidential polls indicating that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is in comfortable lead in three of the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The zones include the two largest ones – North West and South West. Buhari also polled more votes than his arch-rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan, in North East zone.

The incumbent president clinched the South South and the South East. Both candidates have shared the spoils in  North Central zone with Buhari winning in Kogi, Kwara and Niger states while Jonathan cornered Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue.

Our correspondents reported that from results trickling in from the collation centres, the former military head of state has emerged the preferred choice of the people in the presidential poll.

“There is no doubt the race has been won and lost and that Gen Buhari has won,” a source at the INEC office confided in LEADERSHIP.

“Clearly, it is three zones to two; and after winning North West which has Kano and South West with Lagos, the two most populated states and zones, nothing can stop him.”

Jonathan lost vital polling units, including the one at the seat of power where he resides, Aso Villa, Abuja.

Many of his cabinet members, including the minister of education, Ibrahim Shekarau; his Federal Capital Territory (FCT) counterpart, Bala Mohammed, and the minister of state (II) for foreign affairs, Musliu Obanikoro posted dismal results in their home units. Many other high-profile politicians lost their polling units to opposition parties.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to announce the result of the presidential election, meanwhile INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, faulted Fani-Kayode’s claim that the PDP was leading in 23 states, or 64 percent, in the presidential poll.

He said that the only results received were from two states, Ekiti and Ogun. He  declared that the commission was not under any pressure to declare the outcome of the presidential election inconclusive, while expressing worry at the crisis in River State, stating that the commission was investigating it and would take a position soon.

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