20110426
reuters

UYO, Nigeria (Reuters) - After a parliamentary vote delayed by administrative chaos and a presidential election that triggered deadly rioting, Nigerians head to the polls on Tuesday to elect state governors who exert more control on their lives.

The contests are set to be fiercely fought. The 36 state governors are among the most powerful politicians in Nigeria, wielding influence at national level and controlling budgets in some cases larger than those of small African nations.

From the mangrove swamps of the southern oil-producing Niger Delta to the dusty northern towns on the fringes of the Sahara, it is the state governor who is seen as the one who will provide new roads, schools and hospitals.

"These are positions that have much more bearing on people's local communities and aspirations so these are very contentious elections, much more fiercely fought," said Clement Nwankwo, head of Nigeria's Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.

"My worry is that some politicians are much more desperate and willing to take bigger risks," he said.

This month's elections have already been an emotional rollercoaster for the 73 million registered voters in Nigeria, which -- until 10 days ago -- had failed to hold a single credible election since the end of military rule in 1999.

Huge optimism over electoral reforms turned to disappointment when parliamentary polls, originally scheduled for April 2, had to be delayed by a week after voting materials failed to arrive at polling centres on time.

Hope was restored by a presidential race on April 16 deemed the freest and fairest in decades, but the euphoria was marred by rioting in the mostly-Muslim north last week over the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian.