Ahead of political horse trading over who become the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, indications emerged last night that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is backing Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and his Rivers State counterpart Rotimi Amaechi for the coveted positions respectively.

A source close to Obasanjo also confided in LEADERSHIP that the former president is now drumming support for a power shift to the North on the grounds that the region deserves the development.

The source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, added that Lamido and Amaechi will slug it out with President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice -President Namadi Sambo if Jonathan decides to contest the 2015 poll.

He said, “I can authoritatively tell you that Baba (Obasanjo) has thrown his weight behind Lamido/Amaechi ticket for 2015. He is of the opinion that the duo will put in place a dynamic government for positive development. The two governors, you will agree with me, are delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of their states.

“You will recall that Obasanjo was the mastermind of the late Umaru Yar Adua-Goodluck Jonathan ticket in 2007 when it became clear that the third term agenda had flopped and this was done at the expense of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai who had been endorsed by the technocrats that served in his second term.

“With the demise of Yar Adua, Jonathan became the President and it was the same Obasanjo who encouraged him to run for the Presidency against the PDP zoning policy.

“But I can tell you that both Obasanjo and Jonathan have parted ways for two reasons; the failure of Jonathan to involve him in his government and his interest in contesting the 2015 presidential poll”.

When reminded that Obasanjo and Amaechi were not in good term, the source replied that former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola had resolved the dispute.

He added that the development prompted Amaechi to support Oyinlola at the expense of a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, during the last PDP Convention in Abuja.

According to the source, Amaechi is one of the PDP chieftains that drummed up support for Oyinlola and ensured that he emerged as the national secretary of the party.

Lamido was nominated for ministerial appointment by Obasanjo and later emerged the Foreign Affairs Minister on June 30, 1999, the post he held from 1999-2003. He returned to Jigawa purposely to wrestle power from the ANPP government.

In the late 2007, Lamido clinched the governorship candidacy of the PDP and emerged as the governor on May 29, 2007.

The source also claimed that Oyinlola, as an ally of Obasanjo, would work on the political arrangement

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/32942/2012/08/20/obasanjo_backs_lamidoamaechi_ticket_2015.html

This is the best bet for PDP IMHO. I will cast my vote for the duo.

This man is at it again! OBJ, Nigerians wants to do away with "god fatherism" . Have you not done enough harm? Why not allow Nigerians to make this decision themselves.

Hear them: “I can authoritatively tell you that Baba (Obasanjo) has thrown his weight behind Lamido/Amaechi ticket for 2015.. OBJ, Mister winning for PDP is a do or die affair!!!

i love this country, some are on internet ranting while some are already finished planing our lives 5 years ahead of us. Cabal always win, very interesting

Obj represents the generation of "dead" and sadistic nigerians.Whoever he supports or supports him is a sadist.

Which one is africafocus again? Who are behind the site ? Orishirishi

I dey laugh!!!!!
Lets hear what Clark and Asari shall say in response to the rumor.

coming from a man that was totally rejected in the last elections and couldn't even deliver his own ward in Ota. The likes of Obj & co, should be fed to pack of wild hungry hyenas.

@Lamido and Ameachi tickets, this is just another grand plan hatch by this old senile vulture to inject division into south southern polity by pitching the president against his fellow brother. You will want to argue that the duo merit this anointing, but for how long will Nigerians continue to seat and watch retardss deciding their future?

we don't want another set of puppets like Yaradua/Goodluck be imposed on us. Lamido was a former minister of foreign affairs to Obj, a man that never sees anything wrong with Obj and can go to any lengths to please him, while Ameachi is just a power hungry politician that can do anything to retain it.

@Camp GEJ, The earlier this virus infected plan is quarantine the better.

My overall verdict is to kick these political terrorist out of power by all means. PDP is a curse to this country.

Rhino.5dm:
coming from a man that was totally rejected in the last election and couldn't even deliver his own ward in Ota in the last elections. The likes of Obj & co, should be fed to pack of wild hungry hyenas.

@Lamido and Ameachi tickets, this is just another grand plan hatch by this old senile vulture to inject division into south southern polity by pitching the president against his fellow brother. You will want to argue that the duo merit this anointing, but for how long will Nigerians continue to seat and watch retardss deciding their future?

we don't want another set of puppets like Yaradua/Goodluck be imposed on us. Lamido was a former minister of foreign affairs to Obj, a man that never sees anything wrong with Obj and can go to any lengths to please him, while Ameachi is just a power hungry politician that can do anything to retain it.

@Camp GEJ, The earlier this virus infected plan is quarantine the better.

My overall verdict is to kick these political terrorist out of power by all means. PDP is a curse to this country.

Gbam!!!! you need to wait for the tribal ND to respond for you to capture the full extent of the situation.

Don't see that ticket working, amaechi is not an igbo man,so definately he can't get our votes,i think he would have to rely on his small ikwerre tribe,and hope that other south southerners supports him,which i doubt,seeing as GEJ would probably still be in the race. I think this collabo will be the death of PDP,maybe that's what Obj intends to achieve.

GEJ may be forced to leave pdp,and when he does,he would surely get my vote.

If GEJ decide to contest the 2015,its going to be very difficult for sule lamido/amaechi rotimi ticket to work. Dont forget the power of incumbency and rigging.

Remii: i love this country, some are on internet ranting while some are already finished planing our lives 5 years ahead of us. Cabal always win, very interesting

thank u very much,how i wish ppl realise that fact.suceeful ppl plan well ahead of time only failures complain about the present.nigerian politicians are like that they always plan for years ahead.as we are discussing now some ppl are already planing their ambition for 2019 elections .

OBJ?...I've not heard that name b4

I don't know much about this Lamido, is he one of the best performing Governors? Or was he picked because of his loyalty to Obj?

bamu_hanya: I dey laugh!!!!!
Lets hear what Clark and Asari shall say in response to the rumor.

there is nothing they can do,power will most likely go back to the north.no sensible political party will present a southerner as their presidential candidate come 2014

Who be OBJ please?

whether we like it or not power is alomost certaainly going to the north,all this amechi or sule lamido is just a rumoru to test the waters and see how deep it is .but by bringing out such rumours know that the message they are passing out to their foot solidiers is that power is going to the north,by january u will start hearing more northern names that will be mentioned in more rumours

I don't see Pdp producing the next president & vice no matter who they present & Ameachi is definitely far from the kind of president I dream for nigeria. His style of leadership is so annoying. Ameachi thinks he is a God even as a governor, he will simply become power drunk if he becomes a president.

pazienza: Don't see that ticket working, amaechi is not an igbo man,so definately he can't get our votes,i think he would have to rely on his small ikwerre tribe,and hope that other south southerners supports him,which i doubt,seeing as GEJ would probably still be in the race. I think this collabo will be the death of PDP,maybe that's what Obj intends to achieve.

GEJ may be forced to leave pdp,and when he does,he would surely get my vote.

^^^^Hehehehehe

On the bolded: don't bet on it mate. You'd be amazed to wake up one morning and hear Ikwerre come out as a group and finally claim Igbo .......that's the power of partisan politics.

the north should shove into their smelly arzzes their bastarditic and craptastic drive for the presidency. vampires who would rather kill their own people to achieve their evilistic ideologies.

Firstly, I do not think OBJ will be stupid enough to make a move about 2015 this early, it will amount to "heating up the polity". Secondly, OBJ is also suffering a political down syndrome even in the PDP, and I hope he makes good use of hiis retirement for positive things and not to meddle into politics. It will be his final disgrace if he tried sh(i)t. Thirdly, Except Amaechi will be Presidential Candidate, the Northerners should stay away from Presidency of this country for another 40yrs if we are to have 24hrs electricity. We can not sacrifice the present gains in the Electricity sector to another daft mallam, no offenceee!!

onatisi: whether we like it or not power is alomost certaainly going to the north,all this amechi or sule lamido is just a rumoru to test the waters and see how deep it is .but by bringing out such rumours know that the message they are passing out to their foot solidiers is that power is going to the north,by january u will start hearing more northern names that will be mentioned in more rumours

The last time we heard something like what you said above was in 2010,and we all know how that one turned out. Some people just have to deal with the fact that they have lost the power they acquired post 1970.

Is OBJ still alive?

how many vote do Obj has in PDP primary election? forget it! not when GEJ deliver up to 12k MW of electricity at least 6months befor general election. infact, this will buy sentiment to GEJ and he can win without political party. how i hate Amaechi

2015... They have started counting their votes. Before d election day,election is done but poor innocent Nigerians will go under d hot sun for election count. Poor Innocent Citizens!

manosteel: I don't know much about this Lamido, is he one of the best performing Governors? Or was he picked because of his loyalty to Obj?

To me, Lamido is the best northern governor.i was once lived in jigawa and i knew how he turned d village look of d state to a city.interms of housing,education,health ,employment and infrastructural facilities.he is discipline im his administration.

Where is the opposition? They better start preparing themselves for 2015. Even if the proposed merger by ACN/CPC fails; PDP will meet we neutral Nigerians at the polling booth in 2015. We are sick and tired of them.

I think its best for nigerians to decide whom they want to vote! Obasanjo should please leave nigerian politics alone and focus on his ota farm.

North east \ south east (igbo) will work magic For ACN CPC

Billyonaire: Firstly, I do not think OBJ will be stupid enough to make a move about 2015 this early, it will amount to "heating up the polity". Secondly, OBJ is also suffering a political down syndrome even in the PDP, and I hope he makes good use of hiis retirement for positive things and not to meddle into politics. It will be his final disgrace if he tried sh(i)t. Thirdly, Except Amaechi will be Presidential Candidate, the Northerners should stay away from Presidency of this country for another 40yrs if we are to have 24hrs electricity. We can not sacrifice the present gains in the Electricity sector to another daft mallam, no offenceee!!

Will there ever be a daft,im-becile,in-ept,m-oron,retard and in-valid like GEJ in Nigeria at all.Last time i checked he wasen't a MALLAM.

I'd recommend that the title of this thread be changed to "Obasanjo Backs Lamido/Amaechi Ticket For 2015" as stated in the source of the story.

@OP you are typically above this kind of deception.

PROUD-IGBO:


^^^^Hehehehehe

On the bolded: don't bet on it mate. You'd be amazed to wake up one morning and hear Ikwerre come out as a group and finally claim Igbo .......that's the power of partisan politics.

Those who did nothing to promote igbo unity,but would rather have it divided,have no business benefiting from the fruit of igbo unity. Anyday ohanaeze would endorse this ticket because ikwerre and amaechi finally decided they are igbos would be the day that i would lose all the respect i have for them. Other groups who stood by igbo unity even when such unity brought hardship deserves better,and they sure do have better candidates.

I pray for the day ikwerre comes back to the igbo union,but it would not be at our expense.