The
North has yet to pick a consensus candidate for the 2015 presidential
election because of the jostling among northern governors for the office
of the President.
In the recent past, some northern
leaders have reportedly held meetings to strategise on how to present a
formidable northern consensus in the next presidential election.
Our correspondent gathered that none of
the seven northern governors who had indicated interest in contesting
for the presidency had shown any willingness to back down.
Governors who have their eyes on the
position are Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger
State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State,
Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State and Aliyu
Wamakko of Sokoto State.
All the governors are of the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party to which President Goodluck Jonathan belongs.
All of them are also in their second term in office.
Ex-governors Ahmed Makarfi and Ibrahim
Shekarau of Kaduna and Kano states respectively, are also said to be
interested in the race.
Our correspondent learnt that northern
leaders, who had been planning to ensure that a northerner becomes the
President in 2015, are worried by the rancour among the governors.
In the past one year, leaders of the
North have met on different platforms, insisting on replacing President
Jonathan with a northerner in 2015. The President has said he would wait
till 2014 before declaring his intention.
SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered
that at some of the meetings, the governors signified that they wanted
to be President in 2015 — a situation that has made it almost impossible
for a candidate to be chosen.
The Convener of the Coalition of
Northern Leaders, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid
Mohammed, confirmed that the North’s plan to present one candidate for
2015 had been thwarted by the individual ambitions of the Northern
governors.
“As far as I know, we have not got to
the point of zeroing in on a candidate, a political party or even a
strategy. From the look of things, it is not likely to happen soon.
“This is because the last time we tried
to get a consensus candidate for the North, it was the northern
governors who scuttled the plan. About seven northern governors, who
have ambition to become President, have been busy scuttling one
another’s ambition. So, the North has not picked a candidate, and in my
opinion, it will not happen soon.”
Mohammed also said the issue of a
consensus candidate, among other things, was discussed at the two-day
conference of northern leaders, which held last Wednesday and Thursday.
The conference, with the theme, ‘The
North and strategies for sustainable development,’ was organised by the
Ahmadu Bello University’s Arewa House Centre for Historical
Documentation and Research. Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who
was represented by the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Aliko
Mohammed, said the North must come together to forge a common front for
the region to enjoy political progress and development.
Apparently referring to the rancour
among the governors, Mohammed said, “Unless we come together in the
North, we will continue to have problems. I met with the Senate caucus
in the North and I asked them to reconsider the introduction of an
electoral college in electing the president.”
Also confirming the rivalry among the
northern governors, the spokesman of the Northern Elder’s Forum, Dr.
Paul Unongo, said most of the governors who had indicated interest in
the position were qualified for the presidency but that the North needed
to have a united house.
He said, “Lamido and Aliyu are eminently
qualified to be President. But what they need to do now is to unite and
rationalise to choose one person as the only northern candidate for the
election. If not, if the South presents one candidate, the person would
likely win.”
According to Unongo, the North will
carefully choose a consensus candidate, based on the person’s ability to
guarantee improved security and economic development of the region, as
well as the country.
He noted that the potential candidate must also be acceptable to people in other regions of the country.
Unongo said, “When it comes to people
from the North, who can stand for election for President, some persons
like Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Atiku are the names we can
mention. But now, I don’t know how acceptable they will be to
Nigerians. I don’t think Nigerians still want Army Generals.
“Another potential candidate is the
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who is the northerner in the highest office
in the country. It would be a surprise to me if he does not stand for
election in 2015. If he stands for election in 2015, some of us will
support him.”
On May 17, the 19 northern governors had
met in Kaduna and expressed a determination to sink their differences
and unite to produce the President from the region in 2015.
The Chairman of the Northern Governors
Forum, Governor Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of the group, said northern
governors would not allow what happened in 2011 to repeat itself in
2015.
“We must be united more than ever to go into the 2015 elections as one entity with the aim of producing the president,” he said.
However, till date, the NGF has not endorsed any of its members to contest the election.
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