As the reality of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to contest the 2011 race increasingly dawns on Nigerians, politicians of northern extraction are getting set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for an alternative platform.


President Goodluck Jonathan


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The move regarded as a Plan B is aimed at stopping Jonathan’s ambition to join the race and to ensure that a northerner irrespective of party affiliation wins the next presidential election.

The development came amid fears that Jonathan is not likely to conduct a credible election because of his vested interest in the forthcoming poll.

A top member of the PDP told Sunday Sun that power brokers of different parties in the North are already meeting secretly to fine-tune strategies toward achieving the objective. According to him, the party that might be the rallying point of the politicians is the National Democratic Party (NDP).

Part of the strategies on the pipeline, he said, is for the arrowheads of the plot to field a very credible and popular candidate that would be easy to sell across the nation’s geo-political zones. It was gathered that the ambition of the former Bayelsa State governor is viewed by northern power brokers as not only a slight to the region, but a betrayal of the “gentleman” agreement on the issue of zoning in the PDP.

“You think the North will just sit down and be looking at President Jonathan ride roughshod over them. Many of the politicians and the electorate in the North are not happy that Jonathan wants to contest.

“Their expectation is that since their brother, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died in office, it is only normal that in the spirit of equity and justice that another northerner be allowed to succeed Jonathan and complete the remaining part of the eight years, which is the maximum for any geo-political zone,” he said.

He revealed that those behind the plot to achieve the aspiration of the North were however not in a hurry, as they want to give Jonathan enough time to retrace his steps in the interest of peace and stability of the country.

“The North would not want to make a mistake this time having been deceived by the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

This time, they want to take their time and make sure that they come out with a credible candidate.

“You know that when it comes to politics, the North speaks with one voice unlike the South. They just want to give Jonathan a benefit of doubt to retrace his steps. If he fails, they will say goodbye to the PDP. They may go back to the party but that will be after they have achieved their aim of installing another northerner as President,” the source said.

But Sunday Sun gathered that already there are fears in the North that with a vested interest in the presidential poll, it will be difficult if not impossible for Jonathan to conduct a credible election in 2011.

Our source said that political gladiators in the region are afraid that the President may be tempted to adopt all manner of strategies to whip all other opponents into line. “We know how elections are conducted in Nigeria. If Jonathan will contest the next presidential election, do you think he will just sit down and allow another person remove him from office?

“It is most unlikely Jonathan will conduct a free and fair election. All his promises that he will do electoral reform are just to deceive the people. But he has to watch it because if the election is compromised, it may create problems in Nigeria,” the source further said.

Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the opposition parties may have tacitly thrown their weight behind Jonathan with the hope that his ambition may tear the ruling party apart and create the atmosphere for competition among all parties in the next election. Our source said the opposition parties are already hoping that the PDP will collapse to create room for competition among parties in the country.

He however said God may have allowed the death of Yar’Adua to bring about the long-awaited change in Nigeria, stressing that there should be a competitive engagement in the nation’s political landscape for democracy to grow.

According to him, there is likely going to be an implosion in PDP following Jonathan’s perceived ambition to contest the next presidential election.

“We want the ruling party to crack and it is likely going to crack with the presidential ambition of Jonathan.

“The northern politicians are likely to support a son of the soil and it does not matter which platform they do it. If they cannot realize their aspiration in PDP, don’t you think they will fight to get it elsewhere?” he stressed.

Jonathan had during his visit to the United States for the Energy Summit last month given indication of his ambition to contest the next election.

Even though he was then Acting President, the former Bayelsa governor painted the possibility of his joining the race if he is able to engender a visible positive change in the state of affairs in the nation. Since he was sworn in as President after the death of late President Umaru Yar’Adua last week, indications of his intention to throw his hat into the ring for the presidential poll continue to emerge from his aides and associates.

Last Wednesday, Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, said at a press conference that Jonathan would contest the 2011 presidential election. He, however, did a recant less than 24 hours later that it was his personal opinion.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/may/16/516.html

Interesting times. Was this really unexpected? Who would not do same seeing sugar being taken out of their mouth? I wager that the south will do same if they were the beneficiary of the PDP rotational presidency at this time. Recall that in 2003 when OBj was to be impeached, the Yoruba that hitherto rejected him, abandoned their AC party and supported him massively. The result? Unlike 1999 when he lost massively in the SW, in 2003 he got 100% of the votes there. Igbos, and certainly Ijaws,  will also do the same, except that my Igbo brothers are somewhat politically DUMB.

If the North moves enmasse from PDP, it will be a true test of northern unity versus southern (dis)unity. Interesting times indeed. And boy, I am glad I am so far away from the 'maddening' crowd!!

When I first read this news I was caught off guard myself if it's true then lets see if d North truly ve dat unity they ve used to threaten us for so long,lets wait and see their next line of action.But come to think of it,Can't d north be happy that we ve a better president than their brother YRD culd ever be?so in their thinking d country will not ve a president until one of their brothr is in ASO rock?they r wrong

I dont believe this info, the north own the pdp but pdp has all the structure to win any presidential election.by the way,is NDP not ibb's party ?

~Bluetooth:

I dont believe this info, the north own the pdp but pdp has all the structure to win any presidential election.by the way,is NDP not ibb's party ?

How does the North own the PDP when the BOT chair is Yoruba, party head is Ijaw and party chairman is Igbo, all southerners? Your opinions most times are way off the mark. If the PDP has all the structures to win election as you rightfully pointed out, and as I have indicated, the three most important party positions are manned by southerners, it makes sense that the North will want to move away to a different party where they have a chance to win.

Whether or not the Jonathan contest 2011, come 2015 the North will abadon PDP and rotational nonsense.

I have said it repeatedly, the North are political scammer and the south political mugus.

The 'zoning' the North claimed to have brought OBJ was the figment of their imagination. Allowing OBJ to lead Nigeria in 1999 was to pacify the Yoruba's after they have murdred MKO ABIOLA because they have no choice.

Why is that the North must have the Presidency? Especially given their track record of incompetency and cluelessness.

Bad as OBJ may be, he is by far the best of majority of Nigerian leaders and certainly all the Northern leaders to date.

The 'born to rule' has not gone away from the Fulani's brain. They have also showed their hand about trying to dominate the country with Islam.

If they want they can form 10 other parties, we are know wise to their antics, I am not from the SS, but if Jonathan cannot contest the Presidency, he should just go to ND an turn off the OIL. Shege