The North-West and North-East zones of the Peoples Democratic Party are banking on the South-West geopolitical zone to help them wrest power from President Goodluck Jonathan come 2015.

One of the PDP governors from the zones, who confided in one of our correspondents on what he said was the plan of the North to stop Jonathan in 2015 said the zone was already reaching out to people from other parts of the country. The governor asked not to be named.

He spoke as there were indications that the Middle Belt, a major power block in the North, might not support the region’s power brokers’ bid to stop the President in 2015.

The Coordinator of the Federation of the Middle Belt People, Manasseh Watyl, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Jos, Plateau State capital, said the belt should produce the next President of the country.

But the governor from the far North who spoke to our correspondent said both the political leaders and the traditional rulers from the zone were tired of the Jonathan Presidency, which he described as “unimpressive.”

He said it was evident that the President might no longer be acceptable to the South-West, which despite the popularity of the party controlling the zone, Action Congress of Nigeria, ditched its presidential candidate in 2011 to vote for Jonathan.

He said he knew that the zone was not happy with the number of cabinet ministers assigned to it by the Presidency and “besides the people of the northern part of the country are also aware that Jonathan had refused to appoint people from the zone to strategic positions in his government.”

He said, “We are confident that we will get the support of the people from the (South) West. We are aware that the people of the zone are no longer happy with the President because of the way he treated them and their leaders.

“We are also aware that the President has refused to appoint prominent people from the zone to strategic positions and we have started meeting with the leaders of the South West.

“Those who are saying that we no longer have a monolithic north should wait. When the chips are down, we know how to handle ourselves.”

Apart from that, he said the zone would also liaise with some governors from the South-South in order to compel the President to honour his agreement with the party that he was running to complete the tenure of (President Umaru) Yar’Adua in 2010.

He said it was on the basis of that understanding that the governors and the party supported his presidential aspiration in 2010.

Faulting the Northern governors, Watyl stated that they were entitled to their opinion on the presidency in 2015.

He stated, “Like I always say, the Middle Belt is also asking for Presidency come 2015. We are qualified. The North has ruled this country for over 30 years without any improvement. Let us try somebody from the Middle Belt. Gowon did very well in bringing Nigeria together.”

On the Northern governors’ support for the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s comment on the 2015 polls, Watyl said that this was borne out of their desperation for the presidency in 2015.

He said, “They have no option than to support Buhari because they are desperate to have the presidency back to the North. They should wait for their time. They have not spoken the minds of the Middle Belt.”

Also, the President of Afonja Descendants Union, Ilorin, Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kasum, on Monday cautioned the northern governors who were plotting to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2015 presidential election to stop distracting the President.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Monday, he said the action of the governors were capable of derailing good governance and delivery of democracy dividends to the people.

Kasum said the northern governors should rather focus their energies and resources on providing good governance in their states, rather than plotting against Jonathan.

Meanwhile, investigations have revealed that the Northern governors’ defence of Buhari in his altercation with the Presidency was borne out of fear of confrontation with the former head of state.

Our correspondents learnt that because of the security situation in the core north, the governors decided to avoid a confrontation with Buhari.

An aide to one of the governors in the North-West, who pleaded anonymity, told one of correspondents that “The governors’ statement was meant to defuse tension in the polity. Many people in the far North have rightly or wrongly taken Buhari as a folk hero. They think he is representing the interest of the core north.

“If the governors had attacked Buhari, they would have succeeded in whipping up support and sentiment for him. Their reaction was very diplomatic.”

The former head of state, had, while hosting members of the CPC from Niger State who had paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna, warned the PDP against rigging the 2015 polls, else there would be bloodshed in the country.

Since Buhari made the comment, there had been altercations between him and the Presidency. But while the PDP had also attacked the former head of state, the Northern Governors Forum had said that Buhari’s statement was in order.



Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/2015-north-banks-on-swest-to-stop-jonathan/

GEJ is not doing his party and his political future any favor with the way he leads. I just don’t see how anyone with common sense will vote for more of this stupidity if such continues till 2015. It is only GEJ supporter that will argue that the president is only one year long into office but these blind followers could not ascertain to the truth that GEJ have actually held the position of the office of the president of Nigeria for 3 years and have achieved nothing. Just recently in the news and to add to GEJ’s legacy as the president, Vanguard news reported that GEJ’s aides are now asking for N5 Million bribe just to see the president, and the same news media reported that GEJ will not even accept the responsibilities for the uncontrollable looting of public funds under his presidency and let’s not forget that GEJ’s government is now the record holder for the highest number of Nigerians slaughtered on her own soil since the end of civil war. Tell me, do we really have to think of voting for this stupidity again? Surprisingly, only his kinsmen sees anything good about this inept president.

wales:
Meanwhile, investigations have revealed that the Northern governors’ defence of Buhari in his altercation with the Presidency was borne out of fear of confrontation with the former head of state.

Our correspondents learnt that because of the security situation in the core north, the governors decided to avoid a confrontation with Buhari.

lol


Anyway, if the NW and NE's idea is to rally behind a Fashola presidential campaign in order to oust GEJ, then certainly their support will not be rejected.

On the other hand, if they are expecting to run for presidency themselves...heh. Will be hard to motivate our interest, I suspect.

As long as we don't see the names Buhari and El'Rufai, no problem

I de laff.
Maybe this is what the SE and SS needs to happen before we play hard ball with Nigeria (seriously consider secession).
No matter what happens, GEJ will see the transition to the next president. We shall see then.

I would warn my Igbo people to keep a FIXED focus on the body language of SS governors and politicians.
If they as much as blink (eg play ball with Northern groups), we should toss GEJ under the bus sharp sharp, and field our own candidate even if he gets only Igbo votes.
It's time we start playing REAL hard ball in Nigeria. This is part of why I keep telling my people to leave PDP and join APGA en masse. APGA is the party that will give us a Nigerian president (most likely through a coalition with other progressive parties), or the party that presents our case for secession to the UN. It has to be one or the other. We cannot play "catch your tail" for ever. We have seen this game before. It would be foolhardy to not have a plan of action.

the spell that usman and ahmadu bello cast over nigeria has expired, the yorubas need not be told whom they will back, i see the core north becoming a political minority soon. The mistake yorubas made in 1966 and 1979 is responsible for their stagnation today, they should rather do a deal with gej than enslave themselves with the north

ekt_bear:

lol


Anyway, if the NW and NE's idea is to rally behind a Fashola presidential campaign in order to oust GEJ, then certainly their support will not be rejected.

On the other hand, if they are expecting to run for presidency themselves...heh. Will be hard to motivate our interest, I suspect.

The SW will still have to vote for a candidate. You judge the mood of the SW totally wrongly ,in my opinion, by continuously speaking as if Yorubas will only be "motivated" if a Yoruba is vying for the Presidency.

This is the one region where folks perhaps feel most content not to hanker for the Presidency for many obvious reasons that includes how the SW, relatively, is a very politically sophisticated region. For good or bad, this region "enjoyed" the Presidency for 8 years 'undisturbed'. I suspect no Yoruba man will accept a 'poisoned chalice' knowing fully well he will be unable to deliver because of lack of peace stemming from a divisive Presidency.

Forget all the "zoning is dead" public noise. No one can lead Nigeria without peace which comes from the system genuinely accepting a Presidency as 'fitting' and equitable. Nigeria is still an abberation politically and it will do us well not to forget that.

The way forward, for folks like Atiku, is obvious from their current noise and machination. Pronounce zoning as dead publicly and simply negotiate with another major ethnic group (eg the Yorubas) to 'rotate' the Presidency. With so much bloodshed and with the current Presidency showing no interest in moving Nigeria closer to true federalism, this arrangement might appeal to a SW that will fathom that Fashola as VP virtually guarantees a Yoruba Presidency in the not too distant future. This is my opinion and everyone is free to provide their own as long as we remember that it is those not involved with politics who get the most emotional. The politicians themselves are rather pragmatic creatures who will follow 'permanent interests'. The political position of the SW ,towards 2015, is regionally the least rigid and most open to compromise for far too many reasons than needs to be belabored here.

They will have to vote for a candidate, yes.

But the North will still have to present a candidate more appealing that GEJ.

GEJ isn't perfect, but he is likely better than an Atiku or most of these other dudes the north might field.

I don't think Yoruba people are going to be very motivated to vote for some scrub Northerner just out of spite for GEJ.

BTW, "have to vote for a candidate" is possibly the worst possibly sort of strategy to hope on. You don't want people just to feel as if they are choosing between an incompetent GEJ and an incompetent northerner. As I said, they won't be very motivated to come out and support you.

I already know that all these criticism in Nairaland of GEJ and NOI is all about the return of a President of Yoruba extraction. Is not that a Yoruba President can offer much alone but is all about my tribe.

Regarding Fashola specifically versus a Northerner.

I don't know of any Northern politician currently prominent who would make as good a president as him.

So from a pure talent perspective, why would you support inferior candidates from another region rather than a star from your own region?

You think your average Yoruba man is going to be passionate about that?

But practically speaking...they need us. We don't need them.

They are desperate for political power We are not.

Some more years in the wilderness might do them some good.

Ngwakwe: I already know that all these criticism in Nairaland of GEJ and NOI is all about the return of a President of Yoruba extraction. Is not that a Yoruba President can offer much alone but is all about my tribe.

I'm not personally obsessed with a president of Yoruba extraction. In fact, I personally think it would be better to work towards seeing Nigeria broken apart.

However, why should I be interested in supporting Atiku over a guy not too far away from me, even if all things were equal?

And all things are not equal. Fashola would make a far better president than any Northern politician alive (or dead, for that matter).

As terribly run as Norhtern Nigeria is, as dismal as the hopes for the future as that part of the country are, I should be shouting and dancing for joy to support one of the politicians who destroyed Northern Nigeria over one of our own sons? Our own son who is doing excellently well in his current position, for that matter?

What moral right do the same guys who are governors of one of the most impoverished regions in all of Africa have to then be running for presidency?

You cannot manage your own household, yet now want to be the mayor of a city, when there is a more competent man (Fashola) available.

Gbawe is this what you think will make your typical person in the SW excited and happy?

Gbawe:
The way forward, for folks like Atiku, is obvious from their current noise and machination. Pronounce zoning as dead publicly and simply negotiate with another major ethnic group (eg the Yorubas) to 'rotate' the Presidency. With so much bloodshed and with the current Presidency showing no interest in moving Nigeria closer to true federalism, this arrangement might appeal to a SW that will fathom that Fashola as VP virtually guarantees a Yoruba Presidency in the not too distant future.

A wonderful arrangement. If this is Atiku's position and is the earnest belief of Northern politicians in general, then I applaud it. However, I suspect that this isn't their earnest belief. It is simply a convenient position for them to take now.

Let us test their belief that "zoning is dead" by forcing them to take VP. Do you think that they will agree?

Let me be blunt. They are looking for a power-grab. But don't have enough to take it by themselves. If somebody cannot accomplish a major task without you that they desperately want, and you settle for vice-presidency...well, then you are foolish person, imo.

Whatever is valuable to obtain, you should then be willing to pay a lot for to get.

Ngwakwe: I already know that all these criticism in Nairaland of GEJ and NOI is all about the return of a President of Yoruba extraction. Is not that a Yoruba President can offer much alone but is all about my tribe.

My friend, the thinking Nairalanders is not the most politically informative available in my opinion. The Yoruba powerbrokers, i.e those who actually make things happen, are the least hungry for power in Nigeria right now - and for many reasons. The most important I will not mention here because this forum is now full of emotional, clannish and feudalistic children who can't handle the cold truth most pragmatic folks deal with.

This is the one region where folks perhaps feel most content not to hanker for the Presidency for many obvious reasons that includes how the SW, relatively, is a very politically sophisticated region. For good or bad, this region "enjoyed" the Presidency for 8 years 'undisturbed'.

Na lie. Sharia when a Christian Yoruba man became president. Was that not disruptive to his presidency? What of the Miss World stuff? The various riots that Northern politicians instigated?

Let us not revise history.

The reality is, Northerners will always make it difficult for a president if he is not from their region.

Life without "disturbances" is not really a life worth living. Fashola is a big boy...he can handle it.

They cannot do it without us, basically. So you can set whatever terms you like. If they fail in 2015, knowing them they'll get even more desperate and hungry for power in 2019

Let's make the best partnership possible, the one that gives us the most leverage. No reason to rush.

Anything to get me hopeful again.I have never in my entire adult life been so hopeless about our country.
Anything to get us back on,even if its incremental progress..
Reading Financial times yesterday it was another in-your-face scam.
Flipping hell!Kilode!


I feel really sorry for having called sickly Yaradua,yara-donothing oloun!in hindsight

God have mercy,Look @ dem all shouting and wailin over far away 2015, talkin as if dey av d xclusive powers to foresee, blabbin as if they reserve d political microscope to underpinnings in d perturbed nation....Happy political fantasizing anyway......cos for all i care y'all immersed in it

getting the post of veepee is not an issue , a veepee is just a political spare tire, however cutting the arewa to size should be of most importance to yorubas now, come to think of it what really can atiku or bushari do for nigeria that gej presidency is not already doing or will not do.

Presently depsperate boko haram having run out of ideas are now looking for a way to rope in the south and put the blame of all the attacks on southerners, this is the level of their desperation. Yorubas should not fall for their desperation , the north needs to be cut to size

2015 . . . .2015 . . .2015 . .and yet we are in 2012 . . . .pragmatic folks are those who are aware of the desperation of the North to get power at all cost . . .and will not get intimidated or overwhelmed to acceed to their "Greed laced" alliance offer . . . .

Even though we have a good northern candidate in Sule Lamido of Jigawa State . .that isnt enough to grant them power as we have more than enough able hands down south to compete on equal terms for the seat of the presidency . . .

To some desperate folks it is anything apart from GEJ . . . Even if it means an Atiku or Buhari et al., being that angel . . .i keep saying this . . .when 2015 arrives . .we shall all go out and dance . . .appraisal will be done to the options available . . . and if anyone be found wanting wont find it easy courting the electorates especially the SW folks . . . it is as simple as that . . .

Same factors that made Gej to win the (s)election is rearing its ugly head again! Its a pity that factors such as tribalism and religion cannot be removed from Nigerian politics. We first consider these factors b4 voting, ignoring the weightier matters such as competence, transparency etc. When those of us from the south campaigned against the presidency of Gej prior to election, we were regarded as prodigal sons, now we're forced to bear the consequences of a misguided choice!
Fact, until we stop equating religion and tribalism into naija politics, we'll keep runing in circles.

Onlytruth: I de laff.
Maybe this is what the SE and SS needs to happen before we play hard ball with Nigeria (seriously consider secession).
No matter what happens, GEJ will see the transition to the next president. We shall see then.

I would warn my Igbo people to keep a FIXED focus on the body language of SS governors and politicians.
If they as much as blink (eg play ball with Northern groups), we should toss GEJ under the bus sharp sharp, and field our own candidate even if he gets only Igbo votes.
It's time we start playing REAL hard ball in Nigeria. This is part of why I keep telling my people to leave PDP and join APGA en masse. APGA is the party that will give us a Nigerian president (most likely through a coalition with other progressive parties), or the party that presents our case for secession to the UN. It has to be one or the other. We cannot play "catch your tail" for ever. We have seen this game before. It would be foolhardy to not have a plan of action.

Sorry but your NDIGBO NNA people have been bought CHEAPLY with PDP's looted juicy oil money.
It would not be easy to convince them to join leave their benefactor and join APGA.
So plan A does not seem to be feasible. . .

ekt_bear:

Na lie. Sharia when a Christian Yoruba man became president. Was that not disruptive to his presidency? What of the Miss World stuff? The various riots that Northern politicians instigated?

Let us not revise history.

The reality is, Northerners will always make it difficult for a president if he is not from their region.

Life without "disturbances" is not really a life worth living. Fashola is a big boy...he can handle it.

These things are relative my guy. No revisionism of history going on here at all. There will always be fanaticism and extremism - religious or otherwise. It would have been much worse had OBJ been seen as an "usurper" by the system. You forget that Boko Haram also caused trouble for Yar Adua. The difference is that everyone , even so-called moderate and well-educated Northerners, did not suddenly become united malevolent sponsors of Boko Haram under Yar Adua. Same with OBJ. Fanaticism was not embraced wildly , when it could have been, because many influential Northerners genuinely kept to the creed of "it is their turn".

They assumed they would gain their turn soon , as per the 'arrangement', so what is the point making Nigeria ungovernable for OBJ? That is why I always use "relative". You want to compare the 'child's play' OBJ had to endure to what GEJ is currently dealing with? Brother, that is the real revisionism here.

The north will probably pick a VP from the south-west and they'll do better at the polls but won't win it.

ekt_bear:

A wonderful arrangement. If this is Atiku's position and is the earnest belief of Northern politicians in general, then I applaud it. However, I suspect that this isn't their earnest belief. It is simply a convenient position for them to take now.

Let us test their belief that "zoning is dead" by forcing them to take VP. Do you think that they will agree?

Let me be blunt. They are looking for a power-grab. But don't have enough to take it by themselves. If somebody cannot accomplish a major task without you that they desperately want, and you settle for vice-presidency...well, then you are foolish person, imo.

Whatever is valuable to obtain, you should then be willing to pay a lot for to get.

Look. let us put sentiments aside. Since the current democratic journey began in 1999, even those cast as "born to rule" have paid homage to the notion of "honour amongst thieves" because it is an arrangement that kept everyone 'eating' peacefully during their "turn". Did you not notice that both Atiku and IBB openly announced they would hand over to an SE VP while GEJ danced around evasively ? You think Soludo and Ken Nnamani are fools instead of pragmatically intelligent men who know the score beyond the naive and emotion-laden submission many ethnic jingoists make here on NL?

There is no proof, especially from post 1999 history, to suggest the North will not keep to any 'gentleman's agreement' they make. Otherwise you would not see the likes of Soludo and Nnamani openly backing Northerners and distancing themselves from GEJ.

Gbawe:

These things are relative my guy. No revisionism of history going on here at all. There will always be fanaticism and extremism - religious or otherwise. It would have been much worse had OBJ been seen as an "usurper" by the system. You forget that Boko Haram also caused trouble for Yar Adua. The difference is that everyone did not suddenly become united sponsors of Boko Haram under Yar Adua. Same with OBJ. Fanaticism was not embraced wildly , when it could have been, because many influential Northerners genuinely kept to the creed of "it is their turn".

They assumed they would gain their turn soon , as per the 'arrangement', so what is the point making Nigeria ungovernable for OBJ? That is why I always use "relative". You want to compare the 'child's play' OBJ had to endure with to what GEJ is currently dealing with?

I dont subscribe to this.
Boko haram during the time of yaradua and OBJ was like a viper that has no fangs. . .
Their pepetrations were mild and did not shake the entire country. . .
But what happens when power suddenly jolted out of the hands of Northerners and shifted to Jonathan. . .
Suddenly boko haram had fangs and gained supports and funds. . .
So what are we talking about here? That all these is attributed to mere usual fanatism?
Fanatism itself is a tool in the hands of northern politicians.
Based on the way the northerners SEE their religion, perhaps its easier to convince them 'hate' and REBEL against a president who does not fully represent their BELIEF. . .

I'm with EKT_BEAR on this. . .the northerners would always try to DISRUPT the reign of any in POWER who is not a notherner. . .

kettykin: getting the post of veepee is not an issue , a veepee is just a political spare tire, however cutting the arewa to size should be of most importance to yorubas now, come to think of it what really can atiku or bushari do for nigeria that gej presidency is not already doing or will not do.

Presently depsperate boko haram having run out of ideas are now looking for a way to rope in the south and put the blame of all the attacks on southerners, this is the level of their desperation. Yorubas should not fall for their desperation , the north needs to be cut to size

Why do you care so much about the Yoruba? Yoruba will only do what's beneficial to their race - and I'd rather we align with the North, than support a GEJ candidacy... GEJ is useless, period... The South is a clan of Yoruba hating tribes - outside Edo, and parts of Delta... So, why should we align with people who're natural Yoruba haters??

We're experts when it comes to Nigerian politics - and I'm sure the Yoruba power-brokers have finalised their game plan for 2015..

You, the newbies and inexperienced Yoruba hating clans need to worry about your game plan, and leave us to do us...

Gbawe:
There is no proof, especially from post 1999 history, to suggest the North will not keep to any 'gentleman's agreement' they make. Otherwise you would not see the likes of Soludo and Nnamani openly backing Northerners and distancing themselves from GEJ.

Whether they will keep an agreement or not is irrelevant.

The point is, what they want, they cannot have without assistance. If a man is dying of starvation, and you are the only man with bread, then you had better sell it to him at the highest price you can get.

A starving man is in no position to negotiate with you regarding price.

So if you want to do a "deal" with the North, then you'd better charge a HIGH price. And VP is too low a price.

Finally, you've ignored this issue of the hypocricy of these Northern politicians.

1. Why do they want to rule Nigeria when they've not even managed their states properly?
2. If zoning is dead, then there is nothing wrong with them being VP to a Yoruba president. Yet they'll make up some reason for why this cannot be.

Northerners are both power-hungry and incompetent. The worst possible combination.

You believe in Nigeria, I do not. And if you believe in Nigeria, then it would be highly foolish to enable power-mad/unqualified folk like Northerners to attain the presidency.

Then again, if your secret goal is to see Nigeria destroyed or ruined even further, then yes, throw your support behind an Atiku presidency

What sort of Yoruba man could in good conscience support say an Atiku over Fashola?

I don't think that you truly believe in your heart of hearts what you are typing, Gbawe...no sane human being would prefer Atiku to Fashola as president.

You are only holding fast to this because it is the way you have been politically conditioned

Well, zoning is DEAD.

GEJ killed it. Atiku and the rest of the Northern politicians have agreed.

So anyone can contest in 2015. Anyone can be president. So there is absolutely no reason that in any potential alliance we should accept VP.

breezy047:

I dont subscribe to this.
Boko haram during the time of yaradua and OBJ was like a viper that has no fangs. . .
Their pepetrations were mild and did not shake the entire country. . .
But what happens when power suddenly jolted out of the hands of Northerners and shifted to Jonathan. . .
Suddenly boko haram had fangs and gained supports and funds. . .
So what are we talking about here? That all these is attributed to mere usual fanatism?
Fanatism itself is a tool in the hands of northern politicians.
Based on the way the northerners SEE their religion, perhaps its easier to convince them 'hate' and REBEL against a president who does not fully represent their BELIEF. . .

I'm with EKT_BEAR on this. . .the northerners would always try to DISRUPT the reign of any in POWER who is not a notherner. . .

You think you are "with" Ekt Bear on this but you only support my argument. The level of toxic rancor under GEJ did not exist when OBJ and Yar Adua were President. This is why Boko Haram was not unanimously supported to grow "fangs" some wanted to use to fight an "usurper".

Even in 2011, Buhari was not willing to humble himself enough in an alliance.

By 2015, perhaps they will have learned humility. And if not?

Then maybe 2019.

The point is, time is on our side. We are not desperate for power. They are. This gives us the advantage.

ekt_bear: What moral right do the same guys who are governors of one of the most impoverished regions in all of Africa have to then be running for presidency?

You cannot manage your own household, yet now want to be the mayor of a city, when there is a more competent man (Fashola) available.

Gbawe is this what you think will make your typical person in the SW excited and happy?

My guy, you say these things that only expose how you think Nigeria is what it is not. Talking about competence, you need to go away and think why GEJ became President when many others existed who are a million times better than him with superior records in public administration.

You think it is enough to just Present Fashola and just assume every Nigerian will think as you do? The SW should, for many reasons, have a relaxed attitude towards the Presidency. Voting out the PDP totally in 2011 means, perhaps more than any other region, the scales have fallen away from our eyes.

We don't need to hanker for the Presidency. That is totally wrong. We should simply look to support someone with very strong convictions towards dismantling the current pro-elite and pro-AGIP arrangement, with too much concentration of power in the centre, that impedes the progress of every region.

The SW has started an experiment that the right President, wherever he is from, can help it finish. You are only insinuating that Yoruba folks are tribalistic with your constant talk of how we will not be "motivated" if a Yoruba Presidential candidate is not available. I think we have moved beyond that.

If Soludo and Nnamani, as pragmatically bright Igbo men, can be supporting the Northerners most Nairalanders from the SE hate vehemently, i.e Atiku and IBB, what does that tell you about the disconnection between how leaders and ordinary Nigerians think?