Ahead of 2015 Presidential elections in Nigeria, the top echelon in northern politics have commenced secret meetings and consultations with the sole aim of producing a consensus northern candidate under a new political platform that is yet to be agreed upon.
Last May, the 19 Northern Governors expressed determination to sink their differences and unite to produce the president from the region in 2015. This was the outcome of their quarterly meeting held in Kaduna.
Speaking the minds of his colleagues at the opening session of the meeting, chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, and Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu said the northern governors, this time around, will not allow what happened in 2011 to repeat itself in 2015 as they will unite against candidates from the south.
According to Governor Aliyu, “we must be united more than ever to go into the 2015 elections as one entity with the aim of producing the president”. He then advised all governors and politicians in the north to remain focused and pursue issues of development rather than trivial issues that have led to the retrogression of the region in recent years.
Pointblanknews.com authoritatively gathered that the northern leaders from across ethnic, religious and political divides have resolved to bury their differences and ensure that power returns to the north by 2015.
This, according to them, will bring the desired development to the region and put an end to wanton killings and destruction of properties currently being perpetrated by some faceless group.
According to a source “ they are putting aside their differences, they have people like Lawal keita, Shetimma Munguno, Adamu Ciroma as usual but they are people like Rev Mathew Kukah, the Tor Tiv, and even Buhari, who is willing to sacrifice the CPC and his own ambition”
Some prominent members Include the emir of Zazau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, the Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawe Torkula, Rev. Mosignor Mathew Hassan Kukah , Former Heads of state , General Mohammadu Buhari and General Ibrahim Babangida while the Tor Tiv is currently serving as the scribe at the meetings.
The meeting according to sources, became necessary following alleged plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015, more so, the group of notable elders felt that the People Democratic Party Party (PDP) which controls most of the northern states as well as the Central government has failed to provide the desired leadership for the people.
Said a source “ they are coming together and the governors are disposed to the idea. They are trying to form another party that would be like Action Congress in the south west. The real issue is, the north wants to ensure it produces the president in 2015, but since Jonathan has not said he wont run they don’t want to be taken by surprise. The fear in the north is Jonathan may get the NWC and NEC of the PDP to back him, so the governors and these prominent people want an alternative to PDP”
The group was already contemplating the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) as the alternative platform but had to shelve it plans owing to the surprise emergence of ex – governor Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman Board of Trustee (BOT) of the party.
According to an Inside source, the Idea of the ANPP as the alternative was nailed because Sheriff is believe to be a mole of the PDP in ANPP.
Pointblanknews.com learnt that General Buhari was never disposed to the idea of the ANPP even before the emergence of Sheriff.
It was also gathered that for the very first time Buhari succumbed to pressure from his fellow northern leaders and agreed to support a consensus Presidential candidate for 2015 as may be produced by the group.
For now, most northern governors are not too comfortable with the idea as the see the plot as a serious threat to their political future.