Often times, I have heard words like “we will not vote from any presidential candidate from the North”. Some rephrase theirs to say, “We will not vote from any presidential candidate that is not from the South-South or South East”. These are almost popular sayings from the Igbo dominated Southeast and Ijaws from the South-South.
Surprisingly these political statements appear to be the strength of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election having failed to deliver the dividends of democracy, secure the lives and properties of Nigerians and perform above average. If President Jonathan had delivered the full dividends of democracy like good roads, steady power supply, improved education and adequate security to mention but a few, these deliverables would have been the strength of President Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election. Having failed in this, the former became the case.
However, I have gone down to study the voters register and voting strength of the different zones in Nigeria to ascertain whether this canvassed strength of President Jonathan will give him victory in the 2015 general election. Below is what I found and I leave it to you to decide and answer whether President Jonathan can win the 2015 presidential election by whipping tribal and ethnic sentiments. INEC Nigeria, registered a total of 67,764,327 million Nigerians during the last national voter registration exercise, the final list released has shown.
THE SOUTH; with a total of 30,263,953 voters being 44.7% of the entire Nigerian voting Population SOUTH EAST Imo 1, 611, 715 Anambra 1, 758, 220 •Abia 1, 481, 191 Enugu 1, 301, 185 Ebonyi 876, 249
Total for South East states = 7,028,540 being 10.3% of the Nigerian voting population
SOUTH SOUTH Bayelsa 472, 389 C/River 1, 018, 550 Rivers 2, 419, 057 Delta 1, 900, 055 Edo 1, 412, 225 Akwa Ibom 1, 714, 781
Total for South South states =8,937,057 being 13.2% of the Nigerian voting population.
SOUTH WEST Ekiti 750, 753 Lagos 6, 247, 845 Ogun 1, 869 ,326 Osun 1, 293, 967 Oyo 2, 577, 490 Ondo 1, 558, 975
Total for South West 14,298,356 being 21.1% of the total Nigerian voting population Total for the Entire South is 30,263,953 being 44.7%. Note that the South West has a total of 47.2% of the total votes in the entire South while the South East and South South put together has 55.3% voters’ population
THE NORTH; Total voting population is =37,500,354 being 55.3% of the Nigerian voting population
Total for the North central is = 8,561,692 being 12.6% of the Nigerian voting population Analysis A detailed look at the figures and statistics shows that the voting population of the entire North is 55.3% of the Nigerian voting population, while the entire South has 44.7% of the Nigerian voting population. Out of the 44.7% voting population of the entire south, the South West has almost 50% of the voting population, which stands at 14,298,356 representing 44.7% of the entire South voting population.
The North West has 18,900,543 voters being 27.9% of the entire Nigerian voting population and more than the total voting population of the South east and South South put together, which stands at 15,965,597 representing 23.5% of the total voting population in Nigeria.
