By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Dec 9 1998 (IPS)

Final results of last week’s local council elections in Nigeria show that a two-party system of government is evolving in Africa’s most populous nation.

The results — which have placed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All People’s Party (APP) ahead of their seven rivals — show that the two parties have scored more than five percent of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states, as required by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP and APP, who have qualified for registration, will contest state elections on Jan 9; national assembly elections on Feb 22 and Presidential elections on Feb 29. The military plan to hand over power to civilian government on May 29.

But the seven defeated parties — which include the Alliance for Democracy (AD) which won seats only in south-western Nigeria inhabited by Yoruba — may either join the PDP or APP.

Unconfirmed reports say some top politicians from the AD, which won the third place in the Dec 5 polls, are already planning a merger, and that the PDP and APP are also, separately, wooing the AD to ensure landslide victories in the forthcoming elections.

Olu Falae, who was a AD presidential candidate, said chances were high to merge with PDP. “If the AD is to merge with any political party,” he said, “it will definitely go with the leading party.”

PDP chairman, Solomon Lar, said his party’s victory at the Dec 5 polls does not mean turning down a possible working arrangements with the AD. “PDP and AD are the same”, he was quoted as saying by Nigeria’s ‘Concord’ publication on Monday.

“I cannot understand why we have to split vote or divide the electorate who are supporters of the two parties,” he told the independent paper, adding that “those who fell by the way side should consider the possibility of joining any of the registered parties, as the PDP will still keep its doors open for those willing to join it.”

Lar said both the PDP and AD had worked together in the past when they challenged Abacha’s decision to succeed himself as President of Nigeria.

General Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria for four years, died of a heart attack in the capital Abuja on Jun 8. He was succeeded by General Abdulsalaam Abubakar who immediately embarked on the programme to return Nigeria to civilian rule.

Following the Dec 5 polls, Nigerians appear to be geared for the forthcoming elections. Former head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria between 1976-1979, has reaffirmed his decision to run in the 1999 Presidential elections on the PDP ticket.

In a statement made available to IPS on Monday, Obasanjo said the Dec 5 elections results had encouraged him to pursue his ambition for the nation’s top job.

“On my part, I am encouraged more than ever before by the local government elections to persevere on the path of seeking the mandate of our people and to serve Nigeria as the next elected president. There is no doubt that the going will even get tougher in the days ahead, but that is just what we need to get going,” he said.

It is, however, still too early to say whether AD members will feel comfortable to work with Obasanjo, who is a Yoruba like themselves, in the same party.

Obasanjo, 61, spent three years in detention for an alleged coup plot against the late Abacha. He was released by Abubakar, following Abacha’s death.

When the former head of state declared, on Nov 3, his intention to run, AD’s Adenkunle Alade retorted: “What else does he want…We are tired of the antics of the military. All they want is a stooge.”

Obasanjo was the only military leader who handed over power voluntarily to a civilian government in 1979.

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