Nigeria: IBB, Gusau, Saraki Re-Align Against Jonathan

Ibb, Gusau, Saraki Men Re-Align Against Jonathan in S'south

Political foot soldiers of former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, former National Security Adviser, Ibrahim Gusau, and those of Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki in the South-South geo-political zone, the home zone of Preident Goodluck Jonathan, are currently re-aligning.

They are re-aligning for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Atiku, has emerged as the consensus candidate of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF). He will be battling with President Jonathan for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket for the April 9, 2011 poll.

IBB campaigner, Ben Didi, who is also the spokesperson of the Niger Delta Patriotic Front (NDPF), a radical political group, who made this known to AkanimoReports on Wednesday, claimed that the campaign groups of IBB, Gusau and Saraki are re-aligning in a bid to fight Jonathan to a stand still.

According to him, ''we are of the view that the Atiku presidency is likely to favour the oil-bearing communities than Jonathan's. We dont want to join others in being sentimental about the 2011 presidency''.

But, Didi spoke as Bassey Orok, a seer, insisted again that neither Jonathan nor Atiku is the messiah Nigeria needs. The seer some three weeks ago had warned Atiku, Muhammadu Buhari, and Atiku to forget about 2011, claiming that they have since lost their chances.

Orok had also claimed that the battle was dicey for President Jonathan. Reacting to Atiku's emergence as the Northern concensus candidate, he said, ''Atiku can never be the president of Nigeria. I am seeing something like a political tsunami in the country''.

In the mean time, the Turaki Vanguard, one of Atiku's political mechines in the geo-political zone says President Jonathan's ambition cannot wish away the zoning arrangement in the PDP.

Spokesperson for the group, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, told AkanimoReports on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that zoning was meant to return power to the North next year.

''We have told you before that Jonathan was present at the extra ordinary executive meeting of the PDP where the issue of zoning arrangement was concluded. It is therefore, a very rude shock to us in the Turaki Vanguard and most Nigerians in the PDP when indication emerged that President Jonathan totally disregard the PDP arrangement and offered himself to run for the office of the President in 2011", Eze said..

According to the Atiku group, ''the zoning issue is not a North or South thing. It is about honour, trust and fairness. We must learn to respect agreements for the unity of Nigeria. We stand on the side of the truth, honour, selflessness, justice, equity and fairness''.

ENDS

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