Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) may have emerged as the anointed choice of the Mallam Adamu Ciroma led Northern Political Leaders Forum, (NPLF) Committee, Daily Sun has learnt.

Findings have revealed that while the Committee had been torn between the choice of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, it decided to settle for the latter following informed comments of a former military governor and Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army, who is a member of the committee, who impressed it on his colleagues the wisdom on the choice of IBB.

‘’He had told them that the former civilian president and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, [PDP] Board of Trustees, [BoT], Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had pitched tent with President Goodluck Jonathan and the North should settle for someone, who also enjoys considerable influence and goodwill among retired and serving military officers and would be able to square up with Obasanjo and Jonathan as far as the military class is concerned’’.
The Daily Sun source revealed that from the extensive consultations done by the committee, it discovered that the former Vice President and Action Congress [AC] presidential candidate in 2007, Atiku enjoys the sympathy of opinion leaders in the North, because of the political persecution he suffered in the hands of his former boss, Obasanjo, “but wise counsel prevailed on the choice of IBB.’’

Meanwhile, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention, [NRC] and one-time Special Adviser on Media to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo , Dr Doyin Okupe, had expressed concern over the efforts of the Mallam Adamu Ciroma committee to pick an anointed candidate, as the choice of the North for the PDP presidential ticket.

Speaking with journalists Tuesday in Abuja, the PDP stalwart noted that such a regional project could undermine the nation’s democracy. ‘’The consensus candidate that Malam Ciroma has been advocating for and has become a crusader is a very dangerous trend, in a democracy, because we have never had a situation like this before where a particular region will make it compulsory and try by all means possible to bring just one candidate, as if he is going to work with all other regions.

“It isn’t right; it is something that should be roundly condemned by all. Leaders, particularly from the North, should call Adamu Ciroma to order. That at this stage of his life, he should not be doing such things, if he has not been able to help Nigeria to develop, he shouldn’t not at the later years of his life destroy Nigeria. “When you pick a Northern consensus candidate and you have to go and contest, what do you expect the Southern candidate, or Southern leaders to do. They must accept whatever you have chosen. This Northern candidate, are they going to be voted for only in the North. These are issues that are begging for answers and people aren’t really asking Mallam Ciroma.

“Democracy should be played according to the rules of the game and I think we have a constitution that guides us according to the rules of the game. Okupe called on former presidents to prevail on Ciroma, who is former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, [CBN], to halt the Committee of wise men set up by the NPLF, so as not to balkanize the country.

‘’ Anything that is extra- constitutional should be condemned by all of us. It isn’t right ; I think and I believe very, very strongly that Mallam Ciroma and his group are still holding on to this doctrine of North- for- North, South- for South, which has lost application. It has no meaning in modern day Nigeria. If they are still working on such a platform, then we should actually be discussing how to dismember this country, because this thing, (consensus candidate) doesn’t make sense. You mean you have to galvanise an entire section of the country to support a particular candidate? This thing is moving from a political thing to a national warfare.’’Okupe said.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/11/national-11-11-2010-002.htm

I am not surprised. It is the way of the North.

Now, let us see how the cowards of Southern Nigeria rally round GEJ to hold on to power.

Let us see the political Judases in action. Surprised there are no political assassinations yet.

Doesn't surprise me that Uduaghan was removed just in time for the next elections. That was an Atiku camp.

May the will of Allah prevail.

Allah khu my sugar 'bum-bum'.

Nigeria, I hail thee.

The plot thickens.

I would have preferred Atiku to IBB.

Lord have mercy. Only in Nigeria can this happen.

Thanks to OBJ. IBB should not be alive.

Blazay u are a fool to call sn cowards. Just wait an see if that bomber ibb will not loose in the primaries. I was praying for nplf to settle for ibb to enhance total defeat for ciroma and co. As for pdp, if ibb wins the primaries that may be the end of pdp's life span

Blazay u are a fool to call sn cowards. Just wait an see if that bomber ibb will not loose in the primaries. I was praying for nplf to settle for ibb to enhance total defeat for ciroma and co. As for pdp, if ibb wins the primaries that may be the end of pdp's life span

Now this is politics.South for south and north for north.typical!
Please lets start discussing how we split am o!!!
PDP will kill this country.A bloody single no good bandit clique holding Nigerians to ransom.
I will not vote anything,anyone crested PDP. I am even beginning to hate umbrellas because of them. Bombers screwed up,target should have being PDP HQ during BOT/EXCO meetings.