The permutations of 2015 presidency has begun. Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the headquarters of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] indicate that theย political owners of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] and the CPC haveย openned channels of communication against the upcoming presidential elections of 2015. This is as stalwarts within the two political parties haveย sighted theย unfolding political upheaval squiring around the regions of the country as an opportunity. A source confirmed.
According to the information received, the feelers from within the political movers of the two partiesย indicate President Goodluck Jonathan is near certainย to not join the presidential raceย in 2015. According to the source, the growing religious tensionsย among the religious fundamentalist in the various regions of the country is believed to play the determinant role on Presidentย Jonathan’sย decision to walk away from the polls. They believe that the Presidentย will make the decisionย toย not contest largely due to theย expected unrest in some regions of the country, andย lesser on his pledge to serveย one term only.
On the mood of the silent rejection by the north of President Jonathan’s presidency and the southwestย outpouring of publicย anger towards the presidency following the sudden hike in the price of petrol – along with the striking silence of the southeast and south south regions of the country,ย the two parties believe they could tap into theย opportunity. In their take, the southwest and the north will not vote for a Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]ย candidate for President in 2015.
This notion is boosted by a recent online chat whereย the former minister to the federal capital territory of Nigeria, Malam Nasiru El Rufai [a member of CPC]ย told 247ureports.com that the CPCย would prefer Governor Fashola of Lagos Stateย be given the presidential ticket – aside from General Buhari who wasย the presidential flag-bearer for the CPC in the 2011 elections. A source in CPC however discounts Gen Buhari’s ambitionย as unattainable in 2015 owing toย the perception of Buhari being a religious zealot. Non-Muslims are reported to be uneasy with Buhari’s candidacy. According toย the source, Gov Fashola [also a Muslim] does notย carry the same baggageย that Gen Buhari carries – and would not alienate non-Muslims around the other regions of the country.
“Talks between agentsย of the General’s presidential campaign team andย that of ACN areย taking place in Abuja“, statedย a source in the government house in Lagos who went on to deny that Governor Fashola is considering dumping the ACNย for the CPC – and that the governor has not indicated interest in the joint presidential ticket.ย The sourceย however stated that the governor has been in talks with top CPCย personalities in the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Malam Nasiru El Rufai along with Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governors from two northernย states. The source admitted that although the Lagos State governor might have not made a decision, his body language and demeanor indicates “he is entertaining it“.
Adding an unlikely twist, Governors of two northern States, Kano and Jigawa States, in the persons of Gov Kwankwaso and Gov Lamido, both PDP members have indicated interest in joining the presidential race in 2015 under theย PDP – just as the Vice President of Nigeria, Arc Namadi Sambo has also indicated interest inย joining the fray. Sambo’s decision to join the fray has in turn changed the dynamics for the two northern governors – because of the fear the of not winning the PDP presidential ticket against the candidate-ship of Sambo. This realization has in turn led them to the doorsteps of theย CPC and ACN -particularly to the office of the Lagos Stateย governor.
The former governor of Lagos State and the strongman of ACN, Bola Tinubuย is reported to be determined to beat the PDP in the upcoming 2015 presidential race. He is said to have begun underground preparations against the 2015 exercise. According toย a source, Tinubu hasย made clear indications to the northern political elite that the ACN is willing to collaborate to produce a joint ticket in 2015. In particular, theย ACN strong manย has begunย marketing of Gov Fashola to the northern political elite as a viable candidate that is sell-able toย the south and to the north. According to sources,ย Bola Tinubu has met with some Governor’s of the States in the north – the likes of Gov Nyako of Adamawa State and others.
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