Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Gambo Jimeta and VP Namadi Sambo
By SaharaReporters, New York
A cold war brewing between President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice
President Namadi Sambo came out in the open last weekend as the two
political figures attended two different events with their political
allies. Mr. Jonathan was in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, to
bury his brother, Meni, while Vice President Sambo was in Kaduna to give
his two daughters, Aisha and Huwaila, out in marriage.
A top official of the Peoples Democratic Party told SaharaReporters
that many members of the party were baffled that the president fixed the
burial of his brother on the same day that his vice president had set
for his two daughters’ marriage.
SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Sambo’s daughters’ wedding had been
scheduled months ago. “The president knew about the wedding and received
his invitation long before his brother died on November 20,” said our
source, adding that First Lady Patience Jonathan had been tapped to be
“Mother of the Day” at the nuptials.
Several sources disclosed that the relationship between the President
and the Vice President started to deteriorate when Sambo received
reliable indications that Mr. Jonathan was determined to run for another
term in office. The prospect of the president’s going for a second term
has alarmed Northern political figures, among them the vice president,
who had been calculating ways of retaking Nigeria’s highest political
office.
“We know that some northern elders have been putting pressure on
Vice President Sambo to position himself to challenge the president,”
said a source close to Mr. Jonathan.
Other sources in Aso Rock told us that President Jonathan was well
aware that Mr. Sambo is exploring options for running for the presidency
in 2015. “He has been trying to raise his profile and rally political
heavyweights and operatives to his corner,” said a Jonathan associate.
The source accused the VP of “trying to flex his political muscles, but
he should know that, even if Mr. President decides not to run, he [the
president] will still have a say in who succeeds him.”
One of Mr. Jonathan’s men said that they came close to declaring war
“after Vice President Sambo selected a powerful delegation and went
with them to pay a condolence visit to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on the loss
of his daughter.”
A political observer described the scenes in Yenagoa and Kaduna last
weekend as resembling “a realignment of political forces around
President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo.” Those who mourned with Mr.
Jonathan in Yenagoa included Senate President David Mark, who also has
presidential ambitions, as well as numerous Nollywood players. On the
other hand, such personalities as Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Muhammadu
Buhari and several Northern political figures, traditional rulers and
business executives attended the vice president’s more festive event.
A source close to the vice president disclosed that Mr. Jonathan was in
a precarious position. “He is waging an ongoing political war against
[former President Olusegun] Obasanjo,” said the source.
A confidant of President Jonathan’s admitted that members of the
president’s camp were angry at Mr. Obasanjo for trying to remotely
control the ruling party long after his exit from power. The People
Democratic Party recently stated that there was no plan to reconcile the
president and Mr. Obasanjo.
On his part, Mr. Obasanjo has said in private and public forums that
President Jonathan is bound to leave in 2015. The former president’s
statement is at odds with Aso Rocks’ strategy of leaving Mr. Jonathan’s
opponents guessing as to his next plans.
