** the North escalating poverty has been as a result of their loss of power and hands on oil.

** their solution to Northern poverty was to capture the federal government.

** a total include 160 political assassinations during Olusegun Obasanjo's administration.

The former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr John Compel, has shared the US intelligent report of the political situation in Nigeria, especially the quest by the Northern elites to get back power to their region in other to control Nigerian oil revenue.

For the Northern politicians, the control of the federal government means access to oil riches by the political victors and their clients. This encourages the elites to hang together.

Many Hausa-Fulani told me that the North's escalating poverty has resulted from its declining access to oil because of its loss of the Presidency to Olusegun Obasanjo, a Southern Christian Yoruba, following the death of the Northern Muslim Kanuri, Sani Abach.

Their solution to Northern poverty was to recapture the federal government.
This they did (in) the rigged elections of 2007 and and the Presidency of Umaru Yar'Adua.
But, they lost it again when Yar'Adua died in May 2010 and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian Ijaw from Southern Nigeria, became President.

Northern elites did play an important role in selecting Obasanjo to be the chief of State following Abacha's death.
Their understanding has been that the Presidency would revert to the North following one term.

That did not happen in 2003, when Obasanjo, with some Northern support, manipulated the ruling political party to remain in office for a second term.

By the time of my arrival as Ambassador more than a Year later, much of the Northern establishment felt politically maginalized and aggrieved by Obasanjo.
Many feared Obasanjo that he intended to remain President for the resthis life. That concern was a theme of Nigerian politics throughout my my Ambassadorial assignment.

In the oil-rich Niger Delta, there is also a deep sense of grievence against the Nigerian establishment in general, and (with) President Obasanjo in particular.
The population has benefited little from the billions of dollars produced by oil and resents the federal government's insensitive to its traditional parttern of local governance. And politician are above facilitating and exploiting Delat voilence for their own, narrow interest.

Popular alienation and a fragmented establishment have contributed to Nigeria becoming one of the most religious and at the same time, one of the most violent Countries in the world.

In 2010, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law estimated that the number of those killed since 1999 ''outside the law in Nigeria might have increased to 34,000.''

that total includes 160 political assassination during Obasanjo's administration and over 13,500 killinngs resulting from ethno-religious and intra-communal violence. - John Compel, former US Ambassador to Nigeria.

These western silly ass-holes re just good polarising states with d subsequent anarchy n turmoil to give them a dominiaring upperhand (the divide n rule tactics). They have done this 4rm time immemorial; most prevalent in aafrican nations, now this silly ambm that doesn't know what do do wt his tym is @ it again...
Pls dey should just stfu!!!

^^^I agree with you totally.
Though, the post is actually what happened (still happening).
The north need the presidency like they need blood.