Loyalists
of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua are fully back in the trenches as part of
the plot by the north to regain the presidency in 2015.
In
the group are erstwhile associates and aides of the deceased who, sources say,
have been meeting regularly lately following their resolve to champion the
cause of the north in the quest to produce the nation’s next president.
The
group was said to have been prevailed upon by eminent northern leaders to save
the face of the north in the crucial 2015 electoral contest.
“Several
emissaries were sent to the likes of Alhaji Abba Ruma, Senator Adamu Aliero and
Gen. Sarki Abdullai Muktar (rtd) by concerned northern elders on the need for
them to return to the political turf in the interest of the north,” one source
familiar with the development told The Nation.
The
pressure on the Yar’Adua men, it was gathered, is predicated on the fact that
having been involved with him in the race for the presidency in 2007 they are
better placed to champion the cause of the north to vie for the presidency in
2015.
Another
factor in the group’s favour is their massive financial status which sources
say can match that of any other group in the country in prosecuting a
presidential campaign against the incumbent should he decide to go for a second
term.
The
northern leaders had to turn to the Yar’Adua group after discovering some
apathy from politicians they first sounded out.
The
group held its first meeting in Abuja a few days after the Independence day
celebration and reportedly resolved to champion the cause of the north within
and outside the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Those
said to have attended the maiden meeting included former Minister of
Agriculture, Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), Senator Adamu Aliero, and former National Security Adviser
(NSA), General Sarki Abdullahi Mukhtar.
Others
are Dr. Taminu Yakubu, who served in Yar’Adua’s cabinet as the President’s
Chief Economic Adviser, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, who held the position of the
Minister of Finance as well as two top personal security aides of the late
President.
The
politicians, sources claim, rose from the meeting with a resolve to approach
the 2015 project from two fronts. One is to strengthen their base within the
ruling party with a view to wrestling the ticket of the PDP from Jonathan
during the party’s primary election.
The
other approach, which appears to be more popular among those who attended the
first meeting, is to move the group into another political party and confront
Jonathan and the PDP headlong in 2015.
Two
committees were said to have been formed to work on the two approaches.
Consequently, some members of the group were said to have met the leadership of
the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to discuss the 2015 general election.
The
talks, according to sources, bordered on moving the remnant of the late
President’s structure fully into the CPC while work would start in earnest on
how to install a preferred presidential hopeful within the party. Such a candidate,
both parties agreed, must be from the north.
It
was learnt that the group has met at least on two occasions with leaders of the
CPC including former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari. One of such
meetings, it was learnt ,took place in Kaduna on November 14 with the General
in attendance.
Sources
said at another meeting of the group held shortly after the first Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua memorial lecture in Abuja on Thursday November 29, the two committees
reported back to the house and further decisions were taken on how to bring
more people into the fold.
The
latest meeting of the group, The Nation on Sunday learnt was held in Katsina
last Tuesday. At the parley were a former Minister of State for Finance from
the Southwest; a former Minister of National Planning; a former Minister of
Power also from the Southwest, a former Deputy Governor in the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) and a leading industrialist in the country.
The
presence at the meeting of a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of
the Federation from the North Central and Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, one of the
closest friends of the late President and a wealthy businessman from Katsina
State, further strengthened the gathering.
Source: The Nation
No comments:
Post a Comment