From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 10.14.2010
ThisDay

The meeting of the Committee of 12 Northern “wise men” charged with the responsibility of picking a consensus presidential candidate from among those contesting for the exalted office from the geopolitical North may have been deadlocked following the inability of members to agree on whom to adopt.

The candidates are former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida; immediate-past National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau; former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki.
Following the deadlock, a new meeting has been scheduled for next week Wednesday.

The consensus plan is in respect of the Northern candidates vying for the office of president on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari, running for the presidency on the platform of his newly-formed Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and former National Republican Convention (NRC) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Bashir Tofa both vying for the ticket of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, vying on the bill of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and their parties do not subscribe to the consensus arrangement.

To ensure that whatever decision reached next week is binding on the four presidential aspirants, the committee has agreed to officially write a letter to each of the presidential aspirants demanding an undertaking that they would accept whatever decision reached.

The 12-man committee is headed by former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
The committee has three PDP Governors, Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Dr. Babangida Aliyu (Niger) as members representing the North-east, North-west and North-central respectively.

Other members of the committee include former Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, former PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji M.D. Yusuf.

But Ayu’s decision last week to throw his hat into the presidential ring had first cast the initial doubt on the likelihood of the consensus panel achieving a success of the assignment.

At its meeting of Wednesday night which dove-tailed into the early hours of yesterday, the committee could not reach any consensus as members fought for disparate political interests and tenaciously canvassed support for different candidates.
Those representing the interests of some aspirants were of the view that their candidate was the best choice.

The members at the meeting could not push for the endorsement of a consensus candidate because the meeting was attended by only seven members.

One of the members, a retired army general, is away in the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
THISDAY gathered that a call by the chairman of the panel, Ciroma, for a vote on who to be adopted as a consensus candidate did not scale through as the call was roundly defeated by those at the meeting.

According to the source, “We were all playing politics at the meeting. We were not serious about the agenda of the meeting, which is to choose a consensus candidate from IBB, Atiku, Gusau and Saraki.

“From what happened at the meeting, all of us have a mindset and none of us is willing to shift ground. From what I saw among us, I can say without any fear of equivocation that the only member whom one can say is neutral and committed to the course of getting a consensus candidate is Mallam Ciroma and that explains his frustration at the meeting.”

The source further said: “We are not serious, how can those enthroned to be kingmakers change midway to become kings.”
It was learnt that the consensus plan was also frustrated by the utterance of one of the governors, who said he would not be a party to the choice of a consensus candidate because the president to be elected would not be a president of the North, but of the entire country.

Though the next meeting has been shifted to next week, the general feeling of those that attended the meeting was that the idea of consensus candidate be thrown open to allow other politicians from the North with credible credentials to come in.
It was to ensure that the decision of the Ciroma’s committee is binding on all the presidential aspirants that a letter is expected from them to pledge their undertaking to abide by whatever decision reached by the panel.

Justifying his position that more aspirants should enter the race, a source close to the panel, said: “From the look of things, the four presidential aspirants seem to have dominated the field and limited the circle of choice to them, thereby frustrating others from contesting. But our meeting that just ended is of the view that more credible presidential materials should enter the race.”
Some of those that attended the Wednesday meeting of the committee included Ciroma, Yusuf and Ahmed Kurfi from Bauchi.

It will always be difficult or impossible for tribalistic scarecrows, expired opportunistic bats, vampires and bloodsuckers to reach a concensus without devouring each other. Demons love blood (even if it is demon blood).

Beaf:

It will always be difficult or impossible for tribalistic scarecrows, expired opportunistic bats, vampires and bloodsuckers to reach a concensus without devouring each other. Demons love blood (even if it is demon blood).

seriously, i'm loving this. This consensus idea is brillant. I forsee bloodbath in PDP. Hehehehe, Nigeria is an interesting country! America oh, canada oh, london oh, bros, 9ja is the best!

We no go gre O! We no go gree!!