At present the regional front-runners are all ex-ministers: Malam Adamu Ciroma from the north, Alex Ekwueme from the south-east, and Bola Ige and Olu Falae from the south-west.

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Bola Ige, the justice minister, was murdered last month.

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They include Theophilus Danjuma, who was once chief of army staff and is now expected to be defence minister, Bola Ige (a former state governor), Adamu Ciroma (an ex-governor of the Central Bank) and Jerry Gana (a former information minister).

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