Three Northern candidates to run against President Jonathan

With the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) presidential candidate, this means that there will be three Northern candidates against Jonathan, who is the sole candidate from the South, which just might make the presidential election a widely polarised North vs South contest.

Nigerian commentators have generally concluded that the way things stand, the Jonathan/ Namadi Sambo ticket is perhaps more likely to win. This is not just because of the incumbency factor which admittedly plays a huge role in President Jonathan's favour. He is also the only major presidential candidate from the South.

The fact that Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which is most dominant in the South-West, has chosen Nuhu Ribadu means that it may not secure as large a vote it the South West as it would with a regional candidate.

Ribadu however appears to be the champion of the young upwardly mobile middle class and particularly in the South- West. But whether this will translate to actual votes remains to be seen.

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