21:16 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nNigerians are due to head to the polls for the final round in a lengthy election process that has been marred by violence.<\/p>\n
A Nigerian human rights group says more than 500 people died when clashes broke out after earlier presidential polls.<\/p>\n
Violence erupted in the north after Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, was declared the winner of the 16 April vote.<\/p>\n
Ballots in the two hardest hit northern states have since been postponed.<\/p>\n
Churches were set alight and Muslims were then targeted in revenge attacks. Many Christians had to celebrate Easter in the police and military barracks where they had taken shelter from the riots.<\/p>\n
Poverty and religion<\/strong><\/p>\nA total of 29 states out of 36 will hold their gubernatorial elections on Tuesday. Several delayed federal legislative polls will also take place at the same time.<\/p>\n
For many Nigerians, governors – who control big budgets in the oil-producing country – represent the closest embodiment of power many ever see in African’s most populous nation of some 150 million people.<\/p>\n
The head of the country’s Independent election commission, Attahiru Jega, said some Nigerians had paid “the ultimate price” for democracy.<\/p>\n
“One way of immortalising them is to ensure that we complete the remaining elections successfully and not succumb to the designs of people who want to scuttle our collective aspiration for a strong, united and democratic country,” he said, according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n
Mr Jonathan was appointed to the presidency last year upon the death of incumbent Umaru Yar’Adua, a northern Muslim whom he had served as vice-president.<\/p>\n
Many in the north felt the next president should have been from their region Mr Yar’Adua died before he could finish his term.<\/p>\n
However, some analysts say the violence has more to do with poverty and economic marginalisation in the north than religion.<\/p>\n
The north and south also have cultural, ethnic and linguistic differences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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