Lobby for Yar’Adua’s seat begins

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 25.05.2008

Intense lobby has been flagged off among Northern political elite as permutations continue unabated over the fate of the presidency under President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Besides two main contenders who have emerged in the race, it has been gathered that other stakeholders in the North have highlighted four options in the wake of the ill health of President Yar’Adua.

Although the President has declared that he was fit enough to rule the country, the declaration has not stopped the permutations about the life of his presidency. The contention among some politicians is that the slow pace of the government is occasioned by the President’s state of health and that it would be better if he was prevailed upon to resign.

One of the options said to have been highlighted is the Supreme Court option, with the possibility that the Apex Court could reverse the ruling by the Court of Appeal, which confirmed Yar’Adua’s victory in the 2007 presidential election.

A source, however, said that that option has been described as a big gamble as no one can hazard how the Supreme Court’s ruling would go. Another option being canvassed is for the North to put pressure on former Presidents like General Ibrahim Babangida and others who are seen as having some hold on President Yar’Adua to prevail on him to resign his post on the strength of his state of health.

But t hat option too has generated a further option to the effect that if Yar’Adua resigns, Vice President Jonathan Goodluck should also be pressurized to resign so as to pave the way for fresh elections, where the candidate will come from the North.

The other option being canvassed is that if Yar’Adua resigned, the Vice President could be made to retain the seat and complete the remaining three years, while an understanding would have been reached to the effect that the North would take over from 2011.

“There are intense moves out there among top politicians, though nobody has control over the life of other persons, but the belief is that once it has been confirmed that the President’s health is a source of concern, he can be told to let go of power so as to take adequate care of himself,” a source in Abuja said.

A serving governor and a former governor from the North West, who is now a Senator are said to have flagged off the lobby for Yar’Adua’s job weeks ago when the president was flown to Germany.

The former governor and the incumbent governor were said to have separately met with some influential Northerners with the hope that such persons can prevail on the President to agree to step down so as to take care of his health.

The lobbyists were also said to have imported marabouts from both Niger Republic and Saudi Arabia to pray for them to be made President.

Though it was gathered that the duo were not praying for the demise of the President, they were said to be praying to become President through the resignation of the present occupants.

One of the lobbyists was said to have suggested to former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida that he could be made to become the Vice President to the incumbent Vice President who is required by law to step into the number one seat if his boss resigns.

But besides the moves against Yar’Adua, the North is also said to be planning a way by which the region can retain power for as long as possible with or without Yar’Adua in the saddle.

A part of the campaign was flagged off in the interview granted by former Jigawa state governor, Senator Saminu Turaki, when he canvassed that there should be an amendment to the tenure of the President to guarantee two terms of seven years each.