Almost two years after, Nigerians are increasingly becoming agitated over the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari
- Allegedly as a result, leaders of the north are already shopping for a replacement for the president in 2019
-
Various sources revealed this to NAIJ.com as they believe that Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo is already gunning for two former governors
The
north is making moves to get an alternative to President Muhammadu
Buhari ahead of the 2019 general election, NAIJ.com has learnt from
authoritative sources.
It was further learnt
that as the hunt commences, former President Olusegun Obasanjo seems to
have settled for between his two allies, former governors of Jigawa and
Kano, Sule Lamido and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Some northerners are said not to be happy with the Buhari administration
Sources
privy to the political situations in the north told NAIJ.com in the
afternoon of Monday, January 23, 2017 that 2019 was one of the issues
discussed when former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Obasanjo on
Friday, January 20.
According to one of the sources, Obasanjo,
who is no longer happy with the current administration’s style of
government, did not come out straight on his choice for 2019 at the
meeting. However, his current ‘body language’ shows that he favours
Lamido.
Lamido, it was further revealed, has
his eyes on the seat and has been mobilizing support ahead of the
election. He is known to have said he would never leave the Peoples
Democratic Party giving the impression that he would contest under the
party platform.
“I
can tell you that part of the discussion between Obasanjo and Jonathan
centred on the 2019 election and the need to make the PDP stronger as an
opposition party even though baba has decided to be a statesman.
“He
has not categorically mentioned or favoured anybody as a possible
replacement for Buhari, but I can assure you that he has a soft spot for
Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa.
“There is this fear that Buhari cannot
continue after 2019. He is daily becoming weak and the weight of the
country’s challenges is very heavy,” the source from the north said.
An
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain from the north also confirmed
the development but said that the ruling party was already in a fix.
According
to him, there are those prodding the president on even if it is not
really known whether Buhari was really interested in the forthcoming
election.
He further disclosed that some
northern leaders are no longer comfortable with the current
administration as they believe that it had not favoured them.
He
however expressed optimism that Buhari would “weather the storm” when
the time actually comes to decide who rules Nigeria in 2019.
When
contacted, the national president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum
(AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, told NAIJ.com that both Lamido and
Kwankwaso are stooges to Obasanjo.
“To us,
the choice of Sule Lamido and Kwankwaso is no news. We know they are
Obasanjo’s cronies and Obasanjo will do everything to make sure that his
interests are protected.
"Unfortunately, it is no longer going
to be business as usual and Obasanjo’s interest cannot supersede the
interest of the entire north and the entire north has not come out with
anybody for now; we are still consulting and rubbing minds, but
certainly, we will find an alternative to this government.
“You
can be rest assured of that. But the choice of Obasanjo can no longer
be forced on any Nigerian. Lamido and Kwankwaso are not our choices for
now,” Yerima said adding that the duo could be made president and vice president in Ota farms owned by Obasanjo.
He added: “We
will collectively look for alternative considering the fact that age
has overtaken him and even when he means well for the country, he cannot
do much and many people in the government are capialising on that to
unleash terror on the people of the country and advise him wrongly.
“It
is clear to everybody that the government has been hijacked. This is
one major opportunity that the north has and we will make hay while the
sun shines by bringing in another person to fix this present quirmire.”