• Saraki Denies Deal To Be Atiku’s Chief Of Staff
• Final Meeting Between Aspirants And Ciroma Holds Tomorrow
THE struggle by the North to present one consensus aspirant from the four northern aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is expected to challenge President Jonathan in the 2011 Primaries has now led to balkanization of the mainstream Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and formation of a new body, Northern Christian Leaders Eagle Eye Forum (NCLEEF).
Meanwhile, ahead Tuesday’s announcement of the consensus aspirant of the PDP by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), kites are flying with regard to who among the four aspirants will emerge successful.
Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau and Governor Abubakar Bukola Saraki of Kwara State have all indicated interest to contest the PDP presidential race.
However, the NPLF under the leadership of Adamu Ciroma has waded in, with a view to selecting one aspirant out of the four, in order to enhance the chances of the North in clinching the PDP ticket at the primaries. President Jonathan is the only Southern aspirant who has indicated desire to fly the party’s flag.
An online news magazine reported at the weekend that Saraki has agreed to be Chief of Staff (COS) to Atiku, in the event that the ex-VP wins the PDP primaries. According to the magazine insider sources at the NPLF revealed that for the consensus arrangement not to collapse, Saraki has accepted to serve as Atiku’s Chief of Staff.
The Saraki campaign organization yesterday, flatly denied the report, claiming it is trash. Garba Muhammed, spokesman of the organisation told The Guardian that Saraki’s chances are too bright for him to accept to be anybody’s chief of Staff.
He said: “ That is trash. How can Saraki finish being governor and go and be Chief of Staff to Atiku? How can he be Chief of Staff to anybody? Does that make sense; has any governor been a Chief of Staff. Saraki has decided to be president and he is the one to appoint a Chief of Staff. There is absolutely no truth about it. Our chances are bright, about 70 percent. He is the most acceptable, coming from the most formidable political group, the Governors’ Forum. He is the most acceptable, a bridge-builder.”
The mood in the Atiku camp is upbeat and full of optimism. Garba Shehu, spokesman of the organisation denied knowledge of the report that Saraki has accepted to serve under Atiku. He said, “ We have no information on that and will not even like to talk about it. We do not want to preempt the Ciroma group because we have confidence in what they are doing. Come Tuesday and we will know the result.” On talks among the aspirants, he said there are no talks at the level of aspirants. It is the campaign organisations that are talking on the possibility of working together after the consensus aspirant has been named.
On the situation in Northern CAN, it is apparent that the formation of the new Christian Forum may have been precipitated by the recent position of the officials of the 19 Northern states CAN not to support the emergence of a consensus aspirant from the North, but to work towards the emergence of responsible leadership in the country.
The leader of the new Christian body, NCLEEF, Pastor Aminci Habu yesterday, accused CAN of frustrating the zoning arrangement and vowed to continue to champion the Northern cause.
Specifically, the development was a continuation of the controversy that trailed the visit of the Adamu Ciroma-led Committee in search of a PDP Northern Consensus candidate for the 2011 election, to the leadership of the CAN in the Northern states and Abuja.
During the visit, Pastor Aminci, leader of the new Forum, said on a radio interview that Christians in the North were solidly behind zoning and would not support the emergence of a southern aspirant.
The interview by Aminci was subsequently, condemned by the leadership of CAN in the North, as the Secretary, Elder Saidu Dogo said at a press conference that Pastor Aminci had no locus standi to speak on behalf of CAN because during the visit by Ciroma and his committee, Aminci was part of the Ciroma entourage.
This might have angered Pastor Aminci and his disciples within the Christian body to form their own association, which they claimed, was poised to ensure that a Northerner emerges as President in 2011.
Speaking yesterday, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service monitored in Kaduna, Aminci gave reasons why they formed the breakaway faction, insisting that it was a child of necessity, because they would not fold their arms and watch a clique to toy with the prestige and dignity of the North.
According to him, “this new association was formed by us, Northerners who felt it is high time for the North to complete the remaining four years. We decided that silence is no longer golden and to call on our brothers and appeal to them to follow the true path. To let them know that when the North completes the term, then power should go to the South, to the Igbo. Somebody from the South, a Christian should be given and that would lead to peace.”
Reacting to the claim by Elder Dogo that he could not speak on behalf of the Northern Christians, Aminci said: “If they say I am not a member of CAN, they have made a mistake. I am Christian and a member of CAN but not a state Chairman or Secretary. I am not the Chairman or Secretary of Kaduna CAN, but in my capacity as a Christian, I am a bona fide member of CAN. That is undisputable.”
Reacting to Aminci’s claims, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, Secretary of CAN Kaduna State said they do not know anything about Pastor Aminci and at no time was he mandated to speak on behalf of the association.
“I am one of the top officials of CAN here in the North and Nigeria in general if Pastor Aminci is speaking for us, maybe there is another CAN elsewhere which I don’t know. His CAN is different from my CAN. If it was somebody who gave him the assignment, that person should let us know. We never asked him to do that, it was on his own volition.”
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