Nigeria Content Online

The emergence of
former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar,as consensus candidate for the
Northern Political Leaders Forum does not reflect the interest of the
entire northern states,governors of Benue and Kaduna states, Gabriel
Suswan and Patrick Yakowa, have said.

The governors, who
were in Benin to condole with Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole over
the death of his wife, Clara ,described the decision of the nine-man
committee headed by Adamu Ciroma as that of a minute clique who were on
a mission to impose on the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and the
entire North.

The governors
expressed their support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the
forthcoming elections, saying the NPLF’s choice should be seen as a
self seeking exercise that “does not reflect the entire will of the
Northern states.”

Messrs Suswam and
Yakowa also said the decision of the Adamu Ciroma committee was a total
infringement of their rights and that of their states to freely
associate.

“I don’t know
anything about consensus candidate,” Mr. Yakowa said. “We already know
our candidate and President Goodluck Jonathan is our only candidate for
the presidency.”

Circle of conspiracies

Mr Suswan also
said that in a democratic setting, opinions of certain persons should
not be forced on others who might not share in such an agenda.

“The issue of
consensus candidate is not known to me,” he said “I define politics as
a circle of conspiracies, so if nine people agree among themselves that
they want to select among themselves somebody who will contest an
election, I don’t think that is binding on me.

“I was not
consulted and the people of Benue State were not consulted. So, to make
a generalization that that is a Northern position, I don’t think that
is fair. I, as the governor of Benue state, a decision is taken and am
not aware and someone says the decision is binding ,I don’t think that
makes sense to anybody and it does not make sense to me anyway.”

Reacting to media
reports of the plan by his party (PDP) to give automatic ticket to its
members who are already at the National Assembly, Mr.Suswan said such
thinking does not exist in the party, an attempt to do that will negate
the principles of democratic norms and values.

“The chairman of
the party himself denied that news report,” he said. “I don’t think any
democratic party, not to talk about the PDP, even small parties that
are undemocratic, will engage in such things. What I learnt is that
,National chairman talked in respect to women, not members of the
National Assembly. So, I think he was misquoted out of context.”

He described late
Clara Oshiomhole as a woman of substance and a “firebrand” who stood by
her husband in spite of situations that came their way.

“We as colleagues
of Adams Oshiomhole, knows that behind that firebrand governor, there
must have been a very gentle woman who has stood by him, unfortunately
today the woman is no more and so I am here,” he said.