Main Nigeria Party Loses 8 Key Races in Orderly State Elections
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LAGOS, Nigeria — This country’s most powerful political party gave up ground to its main rival in orderly state elections under the military’s plan to restore democracy, official results showed Monday.
Local and foreign observers praised the conduct of Saturday’s vote, in which governors and state assemblies were elected in 35 of Nigeria’s 36 states.
“Nigeria is well on course in the program of transition to democracy and civilian rule,” said Emeka Anyaoku, Nigerian secretary-general of the Commonwealth, which suspended the West African nation for human rights abuses in 1995.
The vote is widely seen as a prelude to parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in February before Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar steps down in May.
The centrist People’s Democratic Party won 16 of 30 states whose results were announced by Monday, with just over 50% of the votes cast, but lost to the right-of-center All People’s Party in eight key states. The APP polled 36%.
The left-leaning Alliance for Democracy swept all six states in its southwestern ethnic Yoruba stronghold, receiving 13% nationwide.
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