[size=18pt]NPLF set to woo Ojukwu, Ekwueme, settles for S’East VP[/size]

By PETER ANOSIKE

Monday, November 22, 2010



In order to win Igbo PDP delegates votes at the presidential primaries, the Mallam Adamu Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), is set to woo the Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Emeka Ojukwu and former Vice president, Dr Alex Ekwueme into its fold.

The group believes the duo would help them by using their influence to mobilise delegates from the zone and also whittle down the influence of the governors from the region, who had already thrown their weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan.

The forum has also decided to pick a vice president from one of the Igbo-speaking states to run with the consensus candidate if they win the primaries. Daily Sun reliably gathered that the choice of vice president from Igbo-speaking states was crucial to the NPLF strategy for securing the support of delegates from South-east at the PDP primaries.

How the vice president would emerge is not yet clear but Daily Sun gathered that some of the people being touted for the plum job include: former Senate President and a Babangida supporter, Senator Ken Nnamani; former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Ben Obi, a strong Aliyu Gusau loyalist, who was political adviser to the former National Security Adviser and presently the Director-General of the Gusau Campaign Organisation.
Senator Obi was also Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress (AC), now known as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The choice is expected to run with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is said to be set to emerge as the consensus candidate. Daily Sun had, last week Thursday, reported that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was ahead of the other three candidates but that the choice of Atiku had caused disagreements among the other contestants and since then efforts were being made to pacify the other candidates and also, take another look at the choice of Atiku before a name is finally announced. This, according to Daily Sun’s findings, is what has been delaying the announcement of the consensus candidate.

Daily Sun gathered that following the disagreements, which had continued to delay the announcement of the NPLF choice as its consensus candidate, the Ciroma group and the other candidates had been holding series of consultations on how to share political offices amongst all the interests in order to placate various political interests, including those of Babangida, Gusau and Saraki, to ensure that the arrangement did not die.
Though the power sharing talks were still ongoing, a source privy to the high-level horse-trading who opted to remain anonymous told Daily Sun that Dr. Bukola Saraki had been sorted and has accepted to become Atiku’s Chief of Staff (COS).

The source also said the Kwara State governor had also been allotted some slots in the Federal Executive Council.
However, Saraki had denied ever accepting to be the Chief of Staff to any of the candidates.

According to him, he could not be chief of staff to anybody.
However, he said he would accept the decision of the NPLF when it formally makes its choice public hopefully sometime this week after one last meeting with the contenders, scheduled to be held yesterday. Daily Sun also gathered from the source that Generals Ibrahim and General Aliyu Gusau have been jointly allotted the privilege of selecting the vice presidential nominee for an Atiku ticket. Since the former military president and the former NSA are jointly second in the NLPF choice.

Talks between the NPLF, Babangida and Gusau, the source said, had continued, given that the duo were said to be very unhappy with the manner in which the consensus arrangement was being handled. Gusau, Daily Sun gathered, is still of the opinion that he is the most qualified for the office amongst all the contestants.

Babangida and Gusau, the source said, had yet agree to agree on who to nominate for the slot but Daily Sun gathered that efforts were being made to ensure that Gusau is comfortable with the consensus deal before any further moves. It is for this reason that Babangida might be pressured to favour Gusau’s choice for Vice President, a candidate whom Atiku would have no objections working with and someone who would definitely be from the South-east zone.

Some of those in the committee include former PDP National Chairman Audi Ogbeh, former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji M.D Yusuf.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/22/national-22-11-2010-009.htm

Igbo continues to be the beautiful bribe with plentiful suitors in the 2011 presidential race.

So spoilt for choice!

Where is the place of Odili and his godson, Raymond Dokpesi.

So out of all people, Ciroma has the guts to come to the Ikemba, a warlord, after all of his threats? Lol. The northerners are really desperate You've got to be kidding me.

They should expunge Orji Kalu's name for any VP position. He is not fit to lead dogs, let alone humans.

igbobuigbo:

They should expunge Orji Kalu's name for any VP position. He is not fit to lead dogs, let alone humans.

I wonder why the guy is not in jail by now.

igbobuigbo:

They should expunge Orji Kalu's name for any VP position. He is not fit to lead dogs, let alone humans.

What did you expect from a news report that originated from the SUN?

chyz:

So out of all people, Ciroma has the guts to come to the Ikemba, a warlord, after all of his threats? Lol. The northerners are really desperate You've got to be kidding me.

i think you were right! what is the north scared of anyway? why don't they want unity between the ss and se? are they scared of the south? the reason i am ask is that i am also starting to see a trend . just wanted to let you know my thoughts.

jason12345:

i think you were right! what is the north scared of anyway? why don't they want unity between the ss and se? are they scared of the south? the reason i am ask is that i am also starting to see a trend . just wanted to let you know my thoughts.

You have to look at it this way, they've never one a presidency without a coup, with more southerners in the FG they are not able to rig in one of their candidates like they did yaradua by "70% vote". They know that they do not have the population, if they did they wouldn't be scrabbling for SE votes. But why SE though?

chyz:

You have to look at it this way, they've never one a presidency without a coup, with more southerners in the FG they are not able to rig in one of their candidates like they did yaradua by "70% vote". They know that they do not have the population, if they did they wouldn't be scrabbling for SE votes. But why SE though?

i think they know that the sw (including ondo and edo) would only vote for their own (ACN) and the SS would vote for GJ so they need atleast ONE geopolitical zone in the south to win the election those are my thought

jason12345:

i think they know that the sw (including ondo and edo) would only vote for their own (ACN) and the SS would vote for GJ so they need atleast ONE geopolitical zone in the south to win the election those are my thought 

All of the SW aint ACN so why not them? Edo citizens would vote GEJ.They do not play politics like the SW.The SE citizens mind is already set on GEJ. We are all uniting because of this guy alone.It would be foolish to think offering us a 2nd ranked position would appeal to the masses and on top of that, they would to bring people like Uzo Orji Kalu and Ken Nnamani.Lol

jason12345:

i think they know that the sw (including ondo and edo) would only vote for their own (ACN) and the SS would vote for GJ so they need atleast ONE geopolitical zone in the south to win the election those are my thought

Edo is not a SW state. They are SS.
Also, ACN has not presidential candidate yet (they are torn between Ribadu, Buhari and a couple of others). In the presidential elections, the SW will go solidly GEJ, governorship, rep, senate etc are totally different.

chyz:

All of the SW aint ACN so why not them? Edo citizens would vote GEJ.They do not play politics like the SW.The SE citizens mind is already set on GEJ. We are all uniting because of this guy alone.It would be foolish to think offering us a 2nd ranked position would appeal to the masses and on top of that, they would to bring people like Uzo Orji Kalu and Ken Nnamani.Lol

i hope you are right. we cannot know until 2011. BUT I WANT KNOW WHO THE SW SUPPORTS? WHO IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK FOR THEM?

Beaf:

Edo is not a SW state. They are SS.
Also, ACN has not presidential candidate yet (they are torn between Ribadu, Buhari and a couple of others). In the presidential elections, the SW will go solidly GEJ, governorship, rep, senate etc are totally different.

I HOPE SO!

Beaf:

Edo is not a SW state. They are SS.
Also, ACN has not presidential candidate yet (they are torn between Ribadu, Buhari and a couple of others). In the presidential elections, the SW will go solidly GEJ, governorship, rep, senate etc are totally different.

sorry MR JONATHAN when did edo become ss, i think u are dreaming big time

edo is known to be mid-west or even sw, not ss

ask any edo person u met and ask if they are ss, and hear there answer

it is just like saying abuja is not north because they are close to kogi.

jason12345:

I HOPE SO!

Hypothetically speaking, if the ss and se all vote GEJ and the sw vote for ACN which causes the north to win. Will u be pissed of at the sw for betraying the south and spoiling our chance, etc.?

alj harem:

sorry MR JONATHAN when did edo become ss, i think u are dreaming big time

edo is known to be mid-west or even sw, not ss

ask any edo person u met and ask if they are ss, and hear there answer

it is just like saying abuja is not north because they are close to kogi.

Every edo that that i know and speak politics know and say lound that they are from the ss; however, they don't claim ND.

alj harem:

sorry MR JONATHAN when did edo become ss, i think u are dreaming big time

edo is known to be mid-west or even sw, not ss

ask any edo person u met and ask if they are ss, and hear there answer

it is just like saying abuja is not north because they are close to kogi.

This is irredeemable, eternal ignorance. Edo is SS and not SW.

chyz:

Every edo that that i know and speak politics know and say lound that they are from the ss; however, they don't claim ND.

What states make up ND?

igbobuigbo:

What states make up ND?

Bayelsa
Delta
Edo
Rivers
Ondo
Imo
Abia
Akwa Ibom
Cross Rivers

chyz:

Bayelsa
Delta
Edo
Rivers
Ondo
Imo
Abia
Akwa Ibom
Cross Rivers

Thanks; I wanted to be sure you know this. So why would an Edo person not claim ND?

^
Cos Chyz gave Obj's political ND, not the geographical one (Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers).

igbobuigbo:

This is irredeemable, eternal ignorance. Edo is SS and not SW.

Damn!

chyz:

Hypothetically speaking, if the ss and se all vote GEJ and the sw vote for ACN which causes the north to win. Will u be pissed of at the sw for betraying the south and spoiling our chance, etc.?

first of all, it would not be called betrayal since the ""sw"" was the first benefactor of zoning. infact, it would be hypocritical of the south west not to support zoning. that is why they remain neutral and ould vote for ACN since that has guaranteed their development._{i think but i don't also know the politics in the sw. i simply have an idea of the overall regional politics} .

secondly, i would not be happy if the SW supports the north. the reason is that, the south is closer to us than the north. i would not like the jihad to be imposed on the sw. with that said, i would like the ss to be the bridge between the igbos and yorubas and every one should know their levels

igbobuigbo:

Thanks; I wanted to be sure you know this. So why would an Edo person not claim ND?

The same reason an Imo and Abia man don't.

igbobuigbo:

Thanks; I wanted to be sure you know this. So why would an Edo person not claim ND?

that is because it is viewed as a form of ijaw expansionism  yeah! i know ignorance

it is like u people are very sick

when did edo become south-south geo-political zone

ijaws now want to be igbos that want to start claiming land that is not there's

well all in all, ondo, edo, delta are all under south west control

just like jos, kaduna, abuja, and nassarawa are under north control

so i have nothing to be arguing about

alj harem:

it is like u people are very sick

when did edo become south-south geo-political zone

ijaws now want to be igbos that want to start claiming land that is not there's

well all in all, ondo, edo, delta are all under south west control

just like jos, kaduna, abuja, and nassarawa are under north control

so i have nothing to be arguing about

Someone just called you a dunce in many words. I don't want to add to your pain, but how about taking up the offer of a £30.00 goat brain (from the local butcher) that jBenue made to you?

Beaf:

Someone just called you a dunce in many words. I don't want to add to your pain, but how about taking up the offer of a £30.00 goat brain (from the local butcher) that jBenue made to you?

beaf MR JONATHAN, i pity u

jason12345:

first of all, it would not be called betrayal since the ""sw"" was the first benefactor of zoning. infact, it would be hypocritical of the south west not to support zoning. that is why they remain neutral and ould vote for ACN since that has guaranteed their development._{i think but i don't also know the politics in the sw. i simply have an idea of the overall regional politics} .

secondly,[b] i would not be happy if the SW supports the north. the reason is that, the south is closer to us than the north[/b]. i would not like the jihad to be imposed on the sw. with that said, i would like the ss to be the bridge between the igbos and yorubas and every one should know their levels

By the bolded I hope you know that you have just admitted another time that you are not itsekiri that you are really Yoruba .smh. But by your comment i think the igbos would get a distaste response from you.

alj harem:

beaf MR JONATHAN, i pity u

You mean you won't take the new brain?
Damn!

If you don't want the goat brain, what about cow or dog brain (can be arranged from Calabar area)? No?

chyz:

By the bolded I hope you know that you have just admitted another time that you are not itsekiri that you are really Yoruba .smh. But by your comment i think the igbos would get a distaste response from you.

that is why i always say i feel affinity to the sw (yoruba) than the ss. i am like ibb or bukola . i cannot prove my itsekiri origins more than this

jason12345:

that is why i always say i feel affinity to the sw (yoruba) than the ss. i am like ibb or bukola . i cannot prove my itsekiri origins more than this

where in delta are you from?