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Donald Duke

2011: North Plots Against Yar’Adua
By Nosike Ogbuenyi, 03.30.2009

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Scores of prominent Northern leaders have begun a series of meetings aimed at stopping President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua from getting re-elected in 2011.
The Deputy National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Mohammed Bello, had declared last week that Yar'Adua would seek a second term in office because the Seven Point Agenda was designed to be implemented in eight years.
Following closely on a similar declaration by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Adamu Aliero, the second term bid is now being considered as serious, prompting prominent Northern leaders, including some governors and elected officials, to begin a series of nocturnal meetings to plot a stop to the race, although they maintain that they have nothing personal against the President.
According to insiders, many of them had thought that Yar'Adua would not contemplate seeking re-election because of his health challenges, but the indications are to the contrary.
"We are exploring two options now," several sources told THISDAY. "The first is what happened to the former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, who was asked by his party, African National Congress, to step down."
The group is hopeful that if the plan is well executed, the top hierarchy of the PDP, including governors and elected officials, can persuade Yar'Adua not to seek another term in office.
"The second option is if the President refuses to be persuaded not to run, there will be a mass movement to an alternative party in preparation for the 2011 election, anchored on grassroots mobilisation," another source added. "Action Congress and All Nigeria Peoples Party readily come to mind."
The second option is to be actualised in conjuction with key Southern leaders who are said to be unhappy with the state of things.
Names that were mentioned include former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, who was asked to step down as a presidential candidate and then denied the vice-presidential slot in 2007 at the last minute, former governors of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, Obong Victor Attah and Mr Donald Duke.
The Northern group, which membership cuts across retired generals, former political leaders and senior ranking office holders, is said to be targetting former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is believed to carry considerable weight and could neutralise the Obasanjo influence in the South-west.
It is believed that if AC wins the rerun governorship election in Ekiti as well as gain control of Osun State, it would further strengthen his hands and re-draw the political map of the South-west.
The governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), is believed to be a political associate of Tinubu.
If the South-south does not move fast, there is a high possibility that Tinubu would be offered the vice-presidental slot under the second scenario the Northern group is looking at.
"This group is of the opinion that Yar'Adua's tenure would be a case of wasted four years for the North," the source further disclosed. "They do not have access to the President. They can neither see him nor reach him. He is not doing their bidding at all, and this has reached a critical stage for them."
The group is also said to be excited about the possibility of a fresh eight years for whoever succeeds Yar'Adua in 2011.
Their main grouse against the President, aside their lack of access to him, is the fact that many still insist Yar'Adua was imposed on the North as its candidate in the last election.
"He was handpicked by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who set out to humiliate their leaders by rigging the election and installing Yar'Adua by any means necessary," the source said. "Now they want a president of their own choice."
The option of moving en mass to an alternative party is said to be gaining ground among the strategists. They strongly believe they can defeat Yar'Adua, more so as the Northern masses are reportedly not happy over the economy.
Attempts to gauge the response of the president's camp on this development were unsuccessful as nobody was willing to volunteer information.
However, a serving minister, who said he needed to be cleared by the President in order to be quoted, dismissed the plot, arguing that only Allah gives and takes power.
"It's good to know that all this is happening because Yar'Adua is not in this business as usual way of doing things. They want him to open the treasury for them. If these people want money, they should work hard to make it. The President is very focused on his agenda. By the end of this budget year, the end product of the President's careful planning for the last two years will begin to manifest," he said.
The President has promised to improve power supply to 6000mw by December this year and is also reforming the oil industry.
It is not clear yet how many governors are with the Northern leaders on this plot, but many are said to be sitting on the fence and watching events unfold.
"The situation is not helped by the lukewarm leadership of the party," a source said.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=139547

No Yoruba can rule Nigeria in the foreseeable future. They have had their turn. The North has till 2015 after which it omes to the South South or the Ibos . Any thing short of that is calling for war and division. This time, the south south will not betray the Ibos again. Obasanjo ruled for 8 year and wrought nothing but corruption and hypocrisy.