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As the final countdown to the announcement of a consensus candidate by the North begins, the four Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirants (former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former National Security Adviser, NSA, General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau and Kwara State governor, Abubakar Bukola Saraki) on the bill of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF, are already holding talks on their individual and collective post announcement activities...

More confounding, Sunday Vanguard has been informed, is the exploration of the possibility of producing a consensus running mate for whoever emerges as the consensus candidate....

The consensus candidate was also said to be ready but the committee was withholding the announcement for reasons best known to the Forum.

Also, the Directors-General of the campaign organizations of the four aspirants are also engaged in their own levels of exploratory talks.

In addition, the campaign structure to be mobilized by whoever emerges as the consensus candidate, it was learnt, is likely to enjoy some form of contribution from the three other aspirants.

These are part of the talks presently going on between the candidates on the one hand and the candidates and the Mallam Adamu Ciroma Consensus Committee on the other hand.

A source close to the Consensus Committee revealed, at the weekend that “the candidate is ready but the committee knows why it has not announced the choice.”

“The source went on: One of the things happening now is that the presidential aspirants are in constant touch with one another, contrary to the story of bad blood being peddled in some quarters.

“It would also interest you to know that some of the details being worked out now is the exploration of an imminent possibility of collapsing the campaign structures of all the aspirants in a manner that they would all work for the consensus candidate once he is announced.

“I can tell you that even the Directors-General of the campaign organizations are also in talks.

“And in order not to make it a winner takes all situation, talks are also on for the possibility of adopting a consensus running mate for whoever emerges as the candidate.

“It is those who think the committee can not come up with an acceptable consensus candidate that are flying that kite.

“As far as the committee members are concerned, they are moving on since the candidate of choice is ready.

“Mind you, the committee members are also carrying along some political leaders in the three geo_political zones of the south so the members know what they are doing.”

Count us out — CAN

In the meantime, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has re_affirmed its determination to join forces with other groups and Nigerians in general from across the country for the emergence of a president in 2011, who will be acceptable to everyone.

A press statement, yesterday, by the Secretary of the Kaduna branch of CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said, “CAN has never and will not in any case be partisan in issues related to politics but will continue to maintain its neutrality being apolitical, but a religious organization conscious of national development, cohesion, integration and peaceful coexistence of our dear country.”

The statement explained that CAN decided to make the clarification following a report linking it with a certain committee working for the election of a northerner as President in 2011.

The statement said, “our attention has been drawn to a certain interview by a Christian clergy, Pastor Aminci, purportedly on behalf of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

“The said interview emanated from a meeting with prominent northern Nigerian politicians in respect of the direction of Nigeria’s presidency in the 2011 elections.

“The interviewee was said to have stated that Christian community in the northern region has resolved to stand on the side of pro_zoning, by ensuring that Christians in the region vote on the side of a northern aspirant whether in the PDP’s presidential primaries and the general election as well.

“It is on this premise that CAN has found it imperative and of urgent need to put the record straight.

“The Christian Association of Nigeria, has no business with such partisanship politics, and has not in any way taken such a stand.

“Rather it is its persistent stand that Nigeria as a country has suffered a monumental underdevelopment, owing to nothing but corrupt and bad leadership and as such Nigerians must, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, political inclinations, rise and vote into power men and women of virtue, moral and upright tendencies which CAN feel is the solution to the mess the country is in.
“We wish to reiterate that Nigerians irrespective of their faith, ethnicity have suffered due to corrupt and bad leadership which has no religious backing of any kind.

“Conscious of that and the need to build a new Nigeria, CAN wishes to add that it has in collaboration with other religious organizations been in the forefront of ensuring that Nigerians be left alone to choose those they want to entrust in positions of trust.

“Again, another concern for CAN is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, National Assembly, Federal Government, political parties, civil society groups and other critical stakeholders act accordingly for the conduct of a successful electoral process.

“CAN is working together with other religious bodies in the country to ensure that a leader who will be loved by all Nigerians, irrespective of regional affiliation, emerges in 2011.”

Lilli Day | Photodisc | Getty Images

On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama signed into law health care legislation that expands health coverage for the poor, imposes new taxes on the rich and forbids
insurance practices such as refusing coverage to those with pre-existing
conditions.

In their expansionary phase, empires force people to go out, seek risks and fend for themselves, Murrin said, reminding of the dismantling of the
British empire after the war, when the National Health Service, which
ensures universal health coverage in Britain, was created.

"This (empire decline) is actually a dead-set course that societies get into and it will happen very quickly I'm afraid," he told "Squawk Box Europe."

"As you start to build a system it becomes cohesive because of its success… the fractures in the American system I think are more apparent than ever," Murrin added.

China's rise will be much faster than most people anticipate as the country's military prowess increases, he said.

"We all know there's going to be a change, the surprise will be the pace of that change," Murrin said, noting that "all empires when they decline they
underestimate their challengers."

The peak for commodities will be reached somewhere between 2020 and 2025 and it's the period before that that must be watched, as China seems much more willing to take risks than Western
countries, he predicted.

- Watch the full interview with David Murrin above.

"You have a lot more males in China then you do in the west," he said, noting that 56 percent of the Chinese society was male, because of the country's policies to
control population and because of traditions which value males more than
females.

"What that means is that they're far more risk-oriented than a society in the West…if you look at conflict and your ability to risk your males in
conflict," Murrin explained.

Speaking moments before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the health care reform honoured the nation's traditions.

"We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, healthcare for all Americans," she said, referring to the government's pension program and health insurance for the elderly established nearly 50 years ago.

Although Democrats pushed the measure through with three votes to spare, 34 members joined Republicans in voting against the bill, worried about paying a political price in the November mid-term elections.

In a last-minute move designed to win the support of a bloc of anti-abortion lawmakers, Mr Obama earlier on Sunday announced plans to issue an executive order assuring that healthcare reform will not change the restrictions barring federal money for abortion.

Next steps

The bill's final approval represented a stunning turnaround from January, when it was considered dead after Democrats lost their 60-seaty majority in the Senate, which is required to defeat a filibuster.

To avoid a second Senate vote, the House also approved on Sunday evening a package of reconciliation "fixes" - agreed beforehand between House and Senate Democrats and the White House - amending the bill that senators adopted in December.