http://saturday.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/17259-buharis-choice-of-bakare-rattles-north


THE game plan of the Northern political class to explore the possibility of another option apart from President Goodluck Jonathan appears to have ended.

Reason being that the key elements in the region are “totally disappointed” in the choice of a running mate announced by the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari.

Rattled by the defeat of its consensus candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), led by former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, had considered other options aimed at returning power to the North.

One of such options, referred to as Plan B, had been the covert move to endorse Buhari and garner support for him in the North until last week’s announcement of fiery preacher and social crusader, Pastor Tunde Bakare, as his running mate.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that NPLF’s look in the direction of Buhari, apart from his wide acceptability and respect in the core North, was informed by the alliance talks between the CPC and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Buhari had announced Bakare as his running mate two days after the collapse of talks between the two parties, owing to the insistence of the ACN on former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as its preferred standard-bearer for the alliance.

But Buhari’s surprise choice of Bakare, Nigerian Tribune gathered, had halted the NPLF’s plan to explore the retired general’s option.

According to a source close to a leading traditional ruler in the North, the NPLF had confided in most power brokers in the region to ‘tolerate’ Jonathan for the next four years rather than support an unpopular ticket against him in the next presidential election.

“I think Buhari was the person the North was really looking at to confront Jonathan; but from the turn of events, he was trying to balance religion with politics and he overdid it.

“How could he pick Bakare? Is the man a politician? How many people can he control in the South-West where he hails from? These are the issues the people have gone back to look at because they appear to be totally disappointed in the general’s choice of his vice-presidential candidate.

“And from the look of things, the people are already resolving to tolerate Jonathan for four years rather wasting time on a ticket that will not be possible for leaders to defend,” the source said.

He said those behind the widely touted Plan B were faced with the contradiction of their earlier stance for a northerner to replace the late Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua and their support for Bakare, whom he said the North saw as the initiator of the process that led to Jonathan taking office as acting president through the proclamation of the Doctrine of Necessity by the National Assembly.

Only last week, defeated presidential aspirant, Abubakar, expressed his readiness for dialogue with President Jonathan just as he said he was not leaving the PDP.

Ciroma and MPLF are featherweights. They cannot get Buhari 1000 votes. The same people that cannot deliver the North, or even their homestates, for Atiku.

Jarus:

Ciroma and MPLF are featherweights. They cannot get Buhari 1000 votes. The same people that cannot deliver the North, or even their homestates, for Atiku.

They are just noise makers who are spent forces in terms of politics. They are not genuinly interested in what is best for the country but who will serve their interest the most. Funny they said how many people could bakare control when they themselves cannot gather votes. I dont know of any election in which Ciroma has won before apart from being a bootlicker for many presidents and serving in their cabinets.

In 1992 ciroma contested for prseident under the then NRC and had a good fight with Shinkafi in those days before IBB cancelled the whole thing. Ciroma, like i said and i could be wrong has never one a real election before.

Jarus:

Ciroma and MPLF are featherweights. They cannot get Buhari 1000 votes. The same people that cannot deliver the North, or even their homestates, for Atiku.

Knock out!

I think we can now close this thread! BB2011!

Jarus:

Ciroma and MPLF are featherweights. They cannot get Buhari 1000 votes. The same people that cannot deliver the North, or even their homestates, for Atiku.

K.O

If they are the power brokers for the north, they will definately do smthing positive

@ genbuhari, how do u intend to close this thread, when it is closed will it change the mindset of the actors?

Let it rattle, as far as pdp is concern, atiku, ciroma and co wouldn't support another party cos they are major stake holders

The North and their usual empty talks! Who are these North and what interest do they represent in the present democracy?