THE battle for Vice President took another shape last night, with governors rooting for their Kaduna State colleague Namadi Sambo.
President Goodluck Jonathan accepted their choice, a source said this morning. Sambo’s name may be sent to the National Assembly today.
Sambo’s choice, according to a source, is the climax of a desperate power game, which will see Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman Vincent Ogbulafor throwing in the towel.
Ogbulafor is facing corruption charges in court. Apparently sensing that saving him may be hard, the governors may have thought of a trade-off – give us Sambo and let Ogbulafor go.
It was not clear this morning how the decision to choose Sambo was taken. His name never came up among the frontrunners for the job..
The governors met last night in Abuja to take a stand on the issues – Ogbulafor’s fate and vice president.
They rose at 10.30pm and headed for the Presidential Villa to see the President. As of 1a.m., the meeting with Dr Goodluck Jonathan was still on. A source said at about 1a.m. that the governors had asked Ogbulafor to resign.
It was not immediately clear last night why the governors withdrew their support for Ogbulafor. A source said it might be a desperate move to beat legislators, who are pushing for former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi, to the prize. Makarfi is a senator.
Earlier in the day, The Nation learnt that security agencies had compiled briefs for President Jonathan on the candidates.
But, it was unclear last night whether the President will name his deputy today or not.
The six top candidates – before Sambo’s name came up – are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi; Sokoto Deputy Governor Mukhtar Shagari; Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido; Ambassador to South Africa Gen. Buba Marwa; and Niger State Governor Aliyu Babangida.
The choice of vice president topped the list of activities in the Presidency yesterday, after the cabinet’s valedictory session for the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, according to sources.
It was gathered that the session had hardly ended when horse-trading took the centre stage.
Findings revealed that security agencies spent the day compiling briefs on the candidates for Dr Jonathan.
A source said: "The briefs on the candidates are to guide the decision of the President.
"Since most of the candidates are public officers, I do not think that they will go through any fresh screening as being claimed. But the security briefs on the candidates will assist the President on his choice.
"It is the prerogative of the President to decide after studying the CVs and security briefs on the candidates."
Asked if the President would submit the name of his nominee to the National Assembly today, the source said: "I am aware that consultations are still ongoing and no one knows his mindset.
"As I am talking to you, state chairmen of the PDP are meeting with the President. The issue of VP may come up in one way or the other."
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