…Sarah Jubril insists it’s women’s turn,

By Clifford Ndujihe

Before the week runs out, more aspirants are expected to join the presidential race, in what has been described as “a final push” to stop President Goodluck Jonathan on one hand and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the other, from retaining power.

So far, there are 15 presidential aspirants. The number is expected to rise to 20 by weekend, Vanguard has learnt.

After losing the battle for the chairmanship seat, former All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP Board of Trustees, BOT, Chairman, Chief Harry Akande, has expressed interest to join other aspirants vying for the presidential ticket of ANPP for the 2011 polls.

Akande’s interest increased the number of presidential hopefuls in the party to three, following the formal declaration of two aspirants from Kano State: Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Alhaji Bashiru Tofa.

Akande revealed his interest, weekend, to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, just as veteran aspirant, Mrs. Sarah Jubril, said it was time to zone the presidential diadem to women.

Botched Third Republic Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Alhaji Adamu Bello and former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai are also expected to join the race.

Other hopefuls include Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Bukola Saraki and Alh. Atiku Abubakar of the PDP; Prof. Pat Utomi of the Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP; Dr. John Dara of the National Transformation Party, NTP; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; and Rev. Chris Okotie of Fresh Democratic Party.

“People requested me to run for presidency, the overture is high and I don’t think I will keep off from heeding the will of the people,” Akande said.

However, he said his coming out again to invest on the project was based on his commitment to women and youth development in Nigeria, adding that “such can only be possible when the nation is adequately rebuilt and restructured”.

However, the only woman standing in the crowd of presidential dreamers, Sarah Jubril, told Vanguard that it was time to give women a chance to re-direct the ship of the state after 50 years of sailing against the tide without making much progress.

Asked if she was going to make any headway this time, having run thrice for the seat since 1993, she said: ‘Why not? Have you not heard about Abraham Lincoln? I am not in the contest for nothing. I am there for a mission. I am not running as a joker. I am zoning neutraliser candidate. women should have it in 2011.”

Currently, the chairman of Governing Board of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, she kick-started a series of programmes that would catapult her to Aso Rock after submitting her PDP nomination this week. “I want to submit my form first, say on Thursday or Friday. We are not making empty noise. We are doing it step-by-step. My campaign is a rescue responsibility. We are out to apply our God-given knowledge to develop the country,” she said.

In their quest to stop the PDP at the polls, 25 opposition parties have raised a panel to hammer out modalities for presenting a consensus candidate for the presidential election.

This was one of the decisions reached at their Benin, Edo State parley, last week, according to a communique issued yesterday by Dr. Sadiq Umar.