L-R: Former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Kwara State governor , Dr. Bukola Saraki
There are strong indications that the consensus arrangement brokered by the Northern Political Leaders Forum under the leadership of Mallam Adamu Ciroma may eventually fail to work out.
There are clear signals that two of the members of the consensus committee, a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and the governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, are uncomfortable with the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the NPLF consensus aspirant. Abubakar will contest the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Both politicians are said to have commenced discrete talks with Jonathan’s contacts, even through they are openly declaring their support for the outcome of the consensus arrangement.
The Deputy Campaign Manager of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, had given an insight into the mood of the consensus meeting when he described Atiku’s emergence as “incomprehensible.”
A highly-placed political source told SATURDAY PUNCH in Abuja that Gusau, who had established for himself the image of a nationalist over the years, was under pressure from his close associates over the implication of the sectional dimension to the struggle for political power in the country.
Strategists around Gusau, a former NSA under Jonathan, are said to be concerned that their principal, reputed to be one of the most respected in national security issues, may become tainted as a regional irredentist.
As a man who has preoccupied himself with the sensitive responsibility that comes with the position of the NSA under several administrations to ensure internal security, Gusau has been advised to be wary of the continuing projection of the outcome of the consensus arrangement as a sectional crusade.
“He is essentially a nationalist; he served in the army; he was the NSA to some administrations, securing the unity of this country,” the source told SATURDAY PUNCH. “His people and close allies are worried that he may become tainted as a sectionalist, which he is not. The fact that he agreed to be part of the consensus thing was not to portray himself as an advocate of sectionalism. He had his objectives, which he made very clear.
“The continuing projection in the media and growing impression about the consensus arrangement is considered worrisome to his folks.”
SATURDAY PUNCH investigations showed that furtive moves were being made to Gusau to get him to back Jonathan on the condition that the President would not spend more than four years in office if elected.
Since the collapse of his presidential ambition on Monday, some of Gusau’s long-term associates are said to be mounting pressure on him to back Jonathan for a four-year tenure.
Gusau’s associates are said to be insisting that such a deal would afford the North the opportunity to rule the country for eight years after Jonathan in 2015.
“I can confirm that his strategists have advised him to back Jonathan on the condition that he does only four years so that the North can have eight years. For him, it is not a personal matter,” the official added. “They are saying that it will be short-sighted for the North to negotiate four years when it can have eight years in full.”
SATURDAY PUNCH gathered that as a person who is known to have played critical roles in securing the country, he would require so much effort to sustain his newfound allegiance to Abubakar.
His strategic positions in various governments was said to have given him the opportunity to know so much about Abubakar, his wealth, outreach and the various controversies, especially when Abubakar might have to eventually take on a Gen. Mohammadu Buhari and a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who are perceived as politicians with clean records.
In spite of their involvement in sensitive public offices, both men are not tainted with allegations of corruption and it would require a strong opponent to defeat them in a free and fair election.
The Buhari administration was terminated by Babangida and supported by a group of military officers with alleged surreptitious input from Gusau, who was then in retirement.
Buhari is widely believed to have an edge in terms of popularity with the masses of the North over Abubakar.
Gusau occupied the strategic position of the Director of Military Intelligence in the Shehu Shagari administration (1979 to 1983) and played some role in the toppling of the civilian regime in December 1983.
Gusau was retired as the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency and is said to nurse a grudge against Buhari for “his untimely retirement,” which was eventually reversed by Babangida, who reinstated him in the army, where he became a Chief of Army Staff.
Shortly after his government was overthrown through a palace coup, Buhari was put under house arrest for two years, thereby laying the groundwork for a seething vendetta that has survived successive years.
Apart from divorcing his wife, Safinatu, for having dealings with the associates of Babangida contrary to his instructions, Buhari was said to have pleaded with Babangida and others who served under his military administration to see his mother.
It was further learnt that Gusau’s followers were banking on the fact that the former NSA worked under Jonathan and resigned with dignity to pursue his ambition without rancour and bitterness, which made fruitful talks possible between the two figures.
On Saraki, investigations showed that his followers had commenced behind-the-scene talks with him to embrace the prospects of negotiation with Jonathan.
It was learnt that if the desires of those around Saraki were to be a reality, the Kwara State governor might replace the former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Mike Ogiadhome, as the Chief of Staff to Jonathan, if he was elected.
Having lost the bid for the NPLF endorsement to Abubakar, Saraki’s men are said to be intensifying moves to convince him to opt for the COS position, which to them, is strategic for his future political plans.
It was learnt that the belief in the Saraki camp is that the position of the COS would put him at an advantage to understand the workings of the Presidency and pursue his ambition to rule Nigeria on a brighter note after Jonathan’s exit.
The source said that the senior Saraki (Olusola), a former leader of the Senate in the Second Republic, who had a rich history of relationship with the South-South as the leader of the Northern Union, was not ecstatic about the role of his son in the consensus deal.
The older Saraki is said to be more inclined to retaining his grip on Kwara State by installing his daughter in the person of Senator Gbemisola Saraki, who he considers to be a good administrator and a better politician than the son.
The older Saraki is said to be focussing on how Gbemisola would become the governor of Kwara after her brother “having committed his energy, time and money to the development of the state.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com/
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