by Arusi Nwanenwe, Abuja

Moves by the Arewa Elders Forum (AEF), to convince ministers of northern extraction serving in the present administration to oppose President Goodluck Jonathan should he decide to run in next year's presidential election, may have suffered a setback.

Pointblanknews.com, an internet news agency said its investigations revealed that moves by the Forum, to raise opposition against the President met a brick wall when some ministers serving in Jonathan's cabinet which the group approached on the need for them to solidarise with the north and resign from the cabinet, if Jonathan decides to run in 2011 refused to do so. The Arewa Elders Forum (AEF) is a shadowy front formed by some northern elites to exert political pressure on governments and political leaders.

Even though Jonathan and his kitchen cabinet have been quiet about the speculation, there are growing support for him by diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria and the international community to contest the 2011 Presidential election.
Pointblanknews.com also stated that the northern group has also failed in its bid to drag people like General T.Y Danjuma and the National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau into their fold against President Jonathan.

The agency gave the names of those behind the plot as Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Alhaji Shetima Munguno, Alhaji Waziri Kurfi, Alhaji Yahaya Kwande and Senator Kanti Bello, a sworn hater of the south.
Pointblanknews.com sources also hinted that the chairman of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), “Alhaji Shehu Sanni, is being used by the AEF to discredit Jonathan in the media. He recently described the President as ambitious, loyal to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and playing God.”

However, Sanni and his group, sources disclosed, are having problems convincing the youth flank of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and the Yar'Adua National Movement (YANM), which has backed Jonathan. The YANM said recently “we will support Goodluck Jonathan if he decides to run for presidential election because the idea of a rotational presidency runs contrary to the constitution…There is need to give equal opportunities to all Nigerians to aspire…We are ready to give the President 100 per cent support should he decide to run.”

Sources hinted that “the AEF is very unpopular because its leadership is viewed as composed of ethnic jingoists who have no national interest at heart. They are also seen as spent forces of northern politics with the emergence of Turks like Nuhu Ribadu, Nasir El-Rufai, and Abubakar Umar. Also, its disdain for the more liberal Arewa Consultative Forum is viewed as lousy for the northern interes