20.Namadi Sambo: Former Governor of Kaduna State and Current Vice President
19. Dahiru Mangal: Wealthy businessman; said to have benefited from government contracts when Yar'Adua was Katsina State Governor; keeps a low profile; also rumored to have close connections to fundamentalists in the north
18. Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki : Chair of Northern Governor's Forum; family's influence well-established in Kwara and western Kogi State; his ailing father heads the Northern Union; Saraki family is also involved in some questionably illicit deals, and reportedly also had a hand in choosing current EFCC Chairwoman Waziri as a way to protect his father from EFCC inquiry.
17. Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekerau: ANPP Governor; leads most populous state in the north; helped stop PDP from stealing state election in 2003 and 2007; of late, Shekerau has been a disappointment as he has done little for his state; his popularity also has tanked since he fell out with presidential candidate Buhari
16. Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva: Only Ijaw Governor in Nigeria; leads one of the wealthiest states; of late has been one of the GON's go-to-guys on Niger Delta issues as he has been able to pull some of the militants into vocational training and demobilization efforts, and has been willing to help the GON military's JTF stamp out the rest; he told the Ambassador that he receives $700 million a year in oil receipts, and that he has helped militant leader Joshua McGyver come in from the cold
15. Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi: His state receives about $1 billion annually from oil receipts; Port Harcourt serves as oil industry's capital; political contacts from his stint as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly; pushing for a harder military line in the Delta by the JTF, and as a result has more access now to the Villa given his support for the JTF
14. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola: He leads the most populous state in the country (despite what the 2006 census claimed); very popular in Lagos and noted for his energy and initiative
13. Aliko Dangote: One of the richest men in Nigeria; helped finance PDP's campaigns in 1999, 2003, and 2007; still widely influential despite losing some contracts under the current administration; he also sits on an unofficial kitchen cabinet
12. Ibru Family: One of the wealthiest families in Nigeria; Michael is an "industrialist" with his finger in a lot of different businesses and industries; Alex publishes the Guardian newspaper; Felix was Governor of Delta State and then a two-term senator; Cecilia is the MD of Oceanic Bank
11.Femi Otedola: Owner of Zenon Oil; Close to Obasanjo; His father was Governor of Lagos State from 1991-1993; recent press reports suggest he is expanding his business portfolio into sugar and cement sectors
10.Ndi-Okereke Onyiuke: Former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange; President of Transcorp; considered to be close to former President Obasanjo; she is considered very close to Nigeria's top bankers, but also has a questionable relationship with stockbrokers and reportedly manipulates shares for the benefits of her close associates.
9.Edwin Clark: Former Commissioner of Information; from Delta State; appears to have access to Goodluck Jonathan as well as some sway over many of the militants; seen by the GON as someone they can talk to, but unclear whether he can really influence militants behavior in his area
8. Former President Obasanjo: Although his star has dimmed over the past 18 months, OBJ helped put in place many of the politicians in office now; exceptionally wealthy; member of Transcorp; Head of PDP's Board of Trustees (for now)
7.Ooni of Ife: One of the two most powerful traditional leaders in the southwest.
6.Obi of Onitsha: Key traditional leader in southeast; is a Stanford graduate and a former Shell Managing-Director
5.Former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida: Always a factor in Nigerian politics; often works in tandem with his neighbor, former head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
4.Former Head of State Muhammadu Buhari: The new and improved Buhari showed principled positions on anti-corruption and electoral issues which earned him reasonable grassroots support in north
3. Emir of Kano: In office since the 1960s, the Emir is probably second only to the Sultan in terms of influence; he is one of the more senior traditional leaders alive today (the Lamindo of Yola is the oldest sitting traditional leader); has helped in the past to broker elite compromises
2.Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji
Bankole: Occupies the number four position in the country; his father is a longtime rival of former President Obasanjo in Ogun State
1. Senate President David Mark is the number three officeholder in the government and would assume immediate power if the Supreme Court overturned the Presidential election; he is a former military general who served as Minister of Communication in past military regimes; once known as a Babangida boy