- by Taiwo Adisa & Jude Ossai -
Loyalists of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua have kickstarted a bid to take over the structure of the Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) ahead of the 2015 general election. The plan, according to sources, was to move the remnant of the late President’s structure fully into the CPC while work would start in earnest on how to install a preferred presidential hopeful as successor to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Sources in Abuja confirmed that loyalists of the late President including former Minister of Agriculture, Sayyadi Abba Ruma, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Adamu Aliero and former National Security Adviser (NSA) General Sarki Abdullahi Mukhtar have perfected plans to take over the structure of the CPC well ahead of 2015, such that they could strongly contest the next presidential election.
It was learnt that the group have met at least on two occasions with leaders of the CPC including former Head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari. Sources also confirmed that the loyalists of the late President Yar’Adua have already endorsed the former National Security Adviser (NSA) as the Presidential candidate of the CPC come 2015.
At least two meetings were held recently. One was held in December 2011 and the second held on February 14, 2012, it was learnt. At one of the meetings, said to have held between the group and General Buhari in December 2011, it was learnt that the 2015 agenda was opened up and that the team of Yar’Adua’s loyalists expressed their desire to dissolve their political structure into the CPC to enable the party win the 2015 presidential election.
At another meeting, it was learnt that the group told Buhari that since he would not be contesting the general election again, it would be better to yield ground to a fresh candidate, who would be well funded to win the presidency come 2015. Said a source close to the meeting: “Some loyalists of the former President actually held a meeting with General Buhari in December 2011. During the meeting, the leader of the team told Buhari of his desire to join the CPC and to also secure Buhari’s support as he plans to run for the CPC Presidency in 2015 should Buhari not be running for the 2015 presidential election.
“Buhari was non-committal in his response as he did not categorically disclose whether he was going to run for election or not in 2015. He however told the visitors that he will not be quitting active politics and that he would be ready to assist in any effort that would bring about sincere leadership for Nigerians.” At another meeting said to have held on February 14, 2012, which involved the same group and leaders of the CPC including Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, it was learnt that the same topic came up for discussion. It was gathered that at the December meeting, one of the former Ministers was said to have told CPC leaders that the Yar’Adua group has been meeting in recent times to x-ray the state of the nation and that the former Ministers have resolved to take concrete steps.
In another development, former leader of Ijaw Youth Movement (IYM), Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari, has advised Northerners to forget the Presidency in 2015, insisting that the exalted position will remain in the South or go to the Middle Belt.
Dokubo-Asari, who gave the advice at the Enugu residence of late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a courtesy call on her widow, Bianca, by coalitions of organisations of Nigeria.
He regretted that Biafra, which was the brain child of Ojukwu, was not actualised, calling for convocation of Sovereign National Conference with a view to restructuring the country.
