Speaking, Atiku Abubakar said Nigerians wanted change because they were fed up with paying for electricity and getting darkness which was also destroying the nation’s industries and contributing to unemployment and crime. He lamented that Nigerians were tired of the dangerous PDP mathematics that is destroying the nation’s democracy, “the mathematics where 16 is greater than 19 and seven is greater than 19. I’m of course referring to the Nigerian Governors Forum and recent events in Ekiti State respectively. Nigerians are tired of the abuse of power, lawlessness and impunity of the PDP government; the type of impunity that sees a court sacked and judges beaten up by thugs under the direction of a party to a litigation, a governor-elect.”

As for Kwankwaso, he had achieved a lot in Kano and would use the same experience to transform the nation if giving the mandate by his party. He added that he would greatly support education and tackle insecurity by ensuring that arms and ammunition were provided for the military, while their welfare would be paramount.

Other aspirants toll the line of the APC manifesto, pledging not to let the party down if elected to fly its flag in next year’s presidential election. The conclusion of the speeches by the aspirants led to the kick-off of voting. Voting was done in alphabetical order the states fall into. This lasted between 2.00am till 8.44am, while counting began immediately.

Before the counting ended, it was clear that Buhari, as expected, would win by a landslide. He made it look as if there was no contest as he coasted home to victory in all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

Buhari polled 3,430 votes to win by a landslide, thus winning the ticket to represent the party in next year’s presidential election. Buhari defeated Atiku Abubakar, who got 954 votes and three other aspirants by a wide margin.

According to Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, the process was free, fair and transparent, saying that everything was properly organised without hitches. “All the aspirants were outstanding in their different ways. Nigeria is in need of a dynamic, focussed and efficient leadership that will put us on the map as the leading nation of the black race,” he said.

PDP Throws Up Jonathan As Its Sole Candidate

Leaders of PDP had either pressurised those who were interested in contesting against Jonathan to drop their ambition and in the case of those who proved stubborn, deny them the presidential nomination form. An aspirant, Professor Akasoba Duke Abiola, who alleged that the party refused to sell presidential nomination form to her even though she paid the N2 million nomination fees said last week that she is seeking a redress in court. She also told journalists that she would not align with the decision of PDP to endorse President Jonathan as its sole candidate. But the lone protest was not enough to stop party members from ratifying, overwhelmingly, the President’s candidacy for the 2015 presidential polls by voting in accordance with the Electoral Act early last Thursday morning.

•Jonathan: PDP’s only presidential candidate

The President captured all the 2, 812 votes cast at the convention, thus becoming the first aspirant that will be handed the ticket of Nigeria’s ruling party’s ticket without contest since the country returned to democracy in 1999. The President had further firmed up his candidacy for the election with the announcement that he had picked his “tested and loyal” Vice President, Namadi Sambo, as his running mate for the presidential election in February 2015.

But it was a more grueling affair in Lagos where over 8000 party members jostled to elect one of the five aspirants jostling for the presidential ticket of the opposition APC as the candidate of the party for the 2015 presidential elections. At the end of the process which spanned two days, former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) was elected the presidential candidate of the opposition party.