Nigerian election manoeuvres get under way

摘要

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has secured the backing of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to seek re-election in February, with the oil sector central to its political patronage system. The move opens the way for Jonathan, a Christian from the oil-producing Niger delta, to extend his term in office in Africa’s largest oil and natural gas exporter for another four years. The decision breaks an informal understanding that the presidency be rotated between candidates from the majority Christian south of the country and the predominantly Muslim north, which may exacerbate regional and ethnic tensions.