2015: Jonathan seals deal with Muslim leaders

President Goodluck Jonathan may dump Vice
President Namadi Sambo for the former Zamfara
State governor, Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima, as
his running mate for the 2015 presidential
election, it was learnt at the weekend.
The President, who met with some Muslim
scholars and leaders on his anticipated second
term bid, was said to have been impressed by
the senator’s role in facilitating the meeting
between him and the Muslim leaders, who
promised to mobilise support for him.
Interestingly, this is coming at a time when the
Professor Ango Abdulahi’s Northern Elders
Forum, NEF, has made it known that the North
would not support President Jonathan’s second
term bid.
Sources said that Yerima, an All Progressives
Congress (APC) chieftain, directed his associate
and deputy governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim
Wakala, who served under him as the
Commissioner for Religious Affairs for eight
years, to mobilise Muslim scholars to the
Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the meeting.
Although the scholars were earlier scheduled to
hold another meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, for
the purpose of forging unity among Muslim
leaders, they abandon the Ibadan parley for the
Aso Rock meeting, where the President solicited
their support for his political aspiration.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saa’d Abubakar, it
was learnt, was not aware of the Abuja meeting.
Vice President Sambo and the National Security
Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), were
said not to be part of the meeting.
A source very close to the meeting revealed
that “in 2011, the President received bloc
support of Christians because they were
organised. He is trying to see how he can get
the same support from Muslims in 2015. This is
where Alhaji Sani Yerima came in.
“He convinced the President about his
popularity among Muslim leaders throughout
Nigeria.
“The former governor directed Wakala to act as
the link between the Muslim scholars and the
President, and to mobilise them to the meeting
in Aso Rock where the President, Yerima, the
Chief of Staff and Protocol Officer were present.
“There, Jonathan sought for their cooperation,
which they promised to give”.
The source disclosed that, at the meeting,
Jonathan promised to address the grievances of
Muslims before the 2015 general election which
includes appointing a Muslim minister from the
South into the Federal Executive Council.
The source added. “The former governor also
used the meeting to strike a deal with the
President. Now, the President, apart from
promising to make Yerima the Minister of
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the next
cabinet reshuffle, is considering making him his
running mate in 2015, owing to his perceived
influence among Nigerian Muslims. The
President believes that he will be a better choice
in this circumstance.
“In fact, at the end of the day, logistics support
was reportedly provided for the leaders for
taking time out to meet with Mr. President.
“Yerima”, Sunday Vanguard learnt, “then threw
in another request, advising the President to
sponsor them for the Umurah, the lesser hajj, so
that they can pray for the actualisation of his
ambition in the holy land”.
This request may not be strange as the Office of
the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
has been known to extend such favours to ‘Men
of God’”