Zoning arrangement: Northern political leaders intensify effort

By Jide Ajani , Deputy Editor

Members of the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum, the new group championing the retention of the geo-political zoning arrangement in the country ahead of next year’s presidential elections have intensified efforts to bring to fruition its resolutions of penultimate Thursday’s meeting, Sunday Vanguard can reveal.

The group has put in place a strategy to effectuate the resolutions reached at its last meeting. Already, the committees set up by the group have commenced meetings meant to discharge their various assignments ahead of the next meeting of the larger body.

Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed that one of the strategies that is on the table is a spree of Town Hall Meetings across the north.

This, sources said, would be convened, first in each of the three geo-political zones of the North, to be followed by another round of Town hall meetings at state levels, down to local government areas and then ward level.

This mode of mass mobilisation, according to sources would enable the members of the Northern Political Leaders Forum to reach its target audience.

Also, in the area of contact moves have begun, with a view to expanding the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum  “to include and comprise all other interest groups, political parties and persons who share the goals and objectives of the meeting. In this regard, it was resolved that other important personalities and stakeholders, especially General Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ibrahim Shekarau who have publicly declared their intention to aspire to the office of President be invited to the next meeting. Furthermore, the Northern Elders Assembly which is pursuing similar goals be integrated and its members invited to the next meeting”, according to Resolution One of the Forum after its penultimate Thursday meeting.

The three committees set up after penultimate Thursday’s meeting are Planning and Strategy Committee, Contact and Mobilization Committee and Publicity Committee.

The Committees, it was gathered, are expected to present their recommendations to the larger body when it meets this week.

The three committees established by the Forum have the following as members Planning and Strategy Committee:  Professor Ignatius Ayua – Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Professor Yakubu Mukhtar, Dr. Sule Bello, Sen. Davis Iornem, Professor Nuhu Yaqub, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, Basher Yusuf Ibrahim, Farouk B.B. Farouk, Omar Shittien, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, Sen. Salisu Ibrahim Matori; Contact and Mobilization Committee: Mallam Adamu Ciroma – Chairman (North Central) General Ibrahim B. Babangida (Rtd), Gen. I.M. Wushishi )Rtd), Maj. Gen David Jemibowen (Rtd), Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, Alh. Shaba Lafiagi, Prof. Daniel Saror, Mr. Patrick Adaba, Alh. Mohammed Hassan (Ciroman Keffi); (North East)Atiku Abubakar, Dr. Shettima Mustafa, Alh. Mohammed Bello Kirfi, Prof. Saad Abubakar, Amb. Yarima Abdullahi, Sen. Abubakar Mahdi, Prof. Isa B. Mohammed, Alh. Dahiru Bobbo, Alh. Yakubu Tsala; and (North West), Alh. M.D. Yusufu, Alh. Umaru Aliyu Shinkafi, Alh. Lawal Kaita,
Sen. M.T. Liman, AVM Hamza Abdullahi, Alh. Magaji Dambatta, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Magoro (Rtd), Sen. Garba Ila Gada, Alh. Yahaya Abdulkarim, Alh. Usman Alhaji

Publicity Committee: Alhaji Magaji DAMBATTA – Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, Mallam Bukar Zarma, Alh. Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, Amb. Zubairu Dada

Information available to Sunday Vanguard, suggests that the meeting of the group would hold every fortnight.

The statement of the group was signed by Third Republic Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and it observed in part that “the call to respect the principle of zoning is on grounds of principle and not targeted at speculated aspiration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. That zoning will, for the foreseeable future serve the best interest of Nigeria and its political stability, at least in the short- and medium-term. There would have been no need for special political arrangement to concede power to the South in 1999 if Nigerians were ready to accept their presidents to come, perpetually, from any part of the country.”

Their 13-point observation and four-point resolution also made it clear thus: “That the North is calling on politicians and other stakeholders to respect political agreements and allow the principle of zoning to run its full course, should not be construed as weakness on its part. Northerners have all it takes to win free and fair elections without special arrangements”.