A southerner speaks different than a northerner.

A Muslim northerner, Ribadu enjoys the support of youth and democrats nationwide.

Yar Adua had completed only three years of his first four year term when he died, and it was expected that all southerners, including Jonathan, would unite behind another northerner for next year s vote.

Many northerners resent that the presidency was returned to a southerner after only one term with a northerner in office (an informal agreement mandates that the presidency should alternate between north and south every two terms).