Northern Leaders Mobilise Against Jonathan In Saudi Arabia

IT was not strictly a religious exercise for some northern politicians, who went to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj during the Ramadan.

A lot of politicking too went underground as influential northern leaders used the occasion to perfect their strategies to abort Jonathan's alleged presidential bid.

It was learnt that the Moslem worshippers resolved at various fora in Saudi Arabia to continue their opposition to Jonathan emerging as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP's) presidential candidate. There was, however, division in their ranks, The Guardian learnt.

Sources at some of the meetings in the holy land, said the participants shortlisted three governors from the three geo-political zones in the North to slug it out with the President Jonathan whenever he declares his interest to run.

Specifically, the planners in Saudi where Vice President Namadi Sambo too performed the Umra, allegedly shortlisted Governor Mahmud Shinkafi of Zamfara State (North West), Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Danjuma Goje (North East) and his Kwara State counterpart, Bukola Saraki (North Central) to contest in the PDP primaries coming up shortly.

The Presidency is said to have uncovered the hand of a presidential aspirant in the North Central in the Saudi deal, allegedly aimed at weakening the support base of the President, who has just stoked caused stir in some quarters by his changes in the leadership of the Armed forces and the Police.

According to a source at one of the meetings held in a strategic location in Saudi, the leaders of the opposition group in Saudi Arabia drew the curtain on the meeting when they said they would meet further in Abuja at the end of the Hajj operations where to consult with more believers in the operation-stop-Jonathan project.

Beside the secrecy of the mission in Saudi Arabia, it was learnt that the conveners were not expected to discuss it openly at the Northern Governors Forum to insulate the dealers from persuasion from the PDP governors, some of who are said to have agreed to accept Jonathan as the 2011 candidate, although they will not oppose those who want to run against the President.

Another Presidency source said Jonathan's men are aware that the sustained northern opposition is aimed at the ultimate goal: to persuade President Jonathan to agree to sign a pact with northern elders that he will not run for a second term and certain ministries and agencies will be conceded to the North after the 2011 presidential election.

Traditional Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) the North would like to retain include the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Agriculture, Water Resources, Finance, Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), State Security Services (SSS), National Security Adviser (NSA), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), among others.

Two weeks ago, Sambo had cleared the air over a recent PDP National Executive Council and National Working Committee (NEC/NWC) meeting, where other aspirants were allowed to run with the President. He had said the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that guides the conduct of internal democracy even within the ruling PDP, also guided the decision of the party's highest authority in not adopting the President outright.

The Vice President, who spoke with editors at a breakfast meeting in Abuja then, said it was not true as portrayed in the media that majority of northerners wanted Jonathan to step down.

We have agreed that zoning is part and parcel of the PDP; it has not removed zoning. But the PDP has said that as far as its candidate is concerned, it respects the Federal Constitution. And in all previous elections of the PDP, despite the fact that there is zoning, all Nigerians that were interested participated in such elections.

Just look at the last election, there were 15 candidates from the South, and about 12 or so from the North. Despite the fact that there is zoning in PDP, still the constitution is the prime factor that is considered in the candidature for the PDP. Any interested candidate from any part of the country, as a Nigerian, has the right to contest if he wishes just like it has been proved in other PDP's presidential election (primaries)