2015: SAMBO FIGHTS BACK

In a bid to step up survival battle to remain in position ahead of the 2015 elections, Vice President Namadi Sambo has launched a drive to mobilise support for both President Goodluck Jonathan and himself across the North West zone and other parts of the north.
This is in response to recent calls from some northern youth groups and a clique politicians, who believe the Vice President has neither helped the north with his position nor promotes the interest of the region, as the most senior northerner in Jonathan’ administration.
Sunday Independent gathered that already some northern youth groups and politicians, regardless of party affiliations have tipped Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema for simple reason that he hails from late Umaru Yar’Adua’s State, Jigawa Governor, Sule Lamido, for his doggedness and popularity and Niger governor, Babangida Aliyu, due to his position as the Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF).
But, the Vice President, according to a close source and top member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) based in Kaduna, is unmoved by what he termed “Sponsored write-ups” in newspapers to rubbish his character as an individual and a northerner.
The source, who spoke under plea of anonymity, said, “It was God that elevated Sambo to the position of Vice President from being a governor and if same God wants him to remain as VP, nobody can stop him.”
Mohammed Ibrahim is the Coordinator, Kaduna Jonathan/Sambo Support Organisation. He told Sunday Independent that there are no plans to drop Sambo, as widely reported in the media.
According to him, instead of losing grips as alleged, more campaigns organisations are springing up in the north for Sambo/Jonathan ticket.
However, in his latest move to fight back at his detractors, Sambo has put a contact and mobilisation team to reach out to identified notable politicians and elders for the purpose of preparing grounds for the battle ahead.
Part of the moves was to relocate from Aguda House, Abuja, to General Usman Katsina State House, Kaduna, two months ago, to discuss and resolve the differences that hitherto created bad blood for the Vice President.
Sambo used the three-day visit to intimate the top politicians, party members and youth, particularly in the north-west, on the achievements of Jonathan and all plans to revive the north’s dwindling economy and insecurity and why they should joins together to fight common enemies.
Apparently, Sambo seems to be winning back the support of the same click of northerners that are calling for his removal after he was able to woo top northern politicians, such as former Lagos governor, Buba Marwa, former Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa , former Kano governor , Ibrahim Shekarau and several others back to PDP.
He was also able to break the dominance of Maitama Sule and Professor Ango Abdullahi led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that have vehemently kicked against Jonathan’s presidency by sponsoring a factional Tanko Yakasai led Northern Elders Council (NEC) that on the hand declared support for Jonathan/Sambo.
Yakasai, who got compensated as delegate to on-going National Confab gave “Performance and Sincere leadership” as reason for supporting the duo to vie the 2015 election, is also working hard to garner support for them in the region.
The Vice President, from information also gathered, has not only proved to be a political force to be reckoned with in the north when he was able to mobilise crowd of notable PDP members to attend all the unity rallies held across Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina and Kano recently.
According to, the National Publicity Secretary of NEC, Ambassador Maman Yusuf, for both Shekarau and Bafarawa to give their support to Sambo to run with Jonathan in 2015 on the second term ticket, a development that was confirmed by the former Sokoto governor, is enough evidence that “Sambo is force that must be respected in the north”.
Source: Sunday Independent