By Clifford Ndujihe
LAGOS—GIVEN the heat the issue zoning has generated, Northern political leaders will today brainstorm on zoning of political offices, especially the presidency, in 2011.

Expected at the parley are notable leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including governors elected on the party platform.

After failed attempts, Northern political elite are expected at today’s parley to come up with a position on which part of the country should produce the president in 2011.

Dubbed Northern Political Summit, notable northerners who were at the last meeting and expected today include former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; ex-Minister of Finance, Adamu Ciroma; former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Yusufu; Alhaji Jibril Maigari, former Minister of Commerce, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf; ex-Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita; Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Kaita, Alhaji Suleiman Ishiaku, Mr. Eziekiel Ibrahim, and former National Chairman of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria, DPN, Alhaji Saleh Hassan.

Also expected are the former Minister of the FCT, Air Vice Marshal Hamza Abdullahi (retd); former Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Muhammed Ali Magoro; former military Governor of old Western State and Minister of Police Affairs, Gen. David Jemibewon; former Governor of old Borno State, Alhaji Mohammed Goni; Sen. Daniel Sarror; Dr. Shettima Mustapha; Sen. Nuhu Aliyu (retd DIG); Sen. Awaisu Kuta; former National Chairman of PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Prof. Ignatius Ayua.

The former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Shaba Lafiaji; Alhaji Bello Kurfi; Senator Zainab Kure, wife of the former Governor of Niger State; Sen. Mohammed Ahmed; Hon. Kola Yusuf; former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Usman Albishir; former Chief of Army Staff General Salihu Ibrahim; Senator Gada who is a member of the National Interest Group in the Senate that worked to actualize the Doctrine of Necessity and the Coordinator of the meeting; former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu; National Security Adviser, General Mohammed Aliyu Gusau are also expected.

Zoning divides North

Authoritative sources told Vanguard last night that the Northern leaders might, however, have been divided on the question of zoning especially as they have held series of meetings on the issue in recent time without reaching a consensus.

While some want the PDP’s unwritten zoning arrangement retained, others are opposed to it.

Retaining the principle means that the prevailing formula for sharing of plum political offices among the six geo-political zones will remain and President Jonathan would have to give way for a northerner to occupy Aso Rock. That is if the PDP wins the presidential polls.

Those in support of zoning said it was the surest way to ensure political stability and allow minorities the opportunity to ascend power.

The PDP zoned the presidency to the South, specifically South West in 1999, to assuage the region over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by their son, late Chief MKO Abiola. After former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term in 2007, power, in accordance with the arrangement returned to the North and late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua emerged as President with Jonathan as his Vice. Following Yar’Adua’s death, Jonathan was sworn in as President.

Some northern leaders want Jonathan to respect the zoning arrangement, be a statesman, abort his speculated presidential ambition and hand over to a northerner like Obasanjo did in 1979 as military head of state. Obasanjo was second-in-command to the late Maj. Gen. Murtala Mohammed and took over when the latter was assassinated in 1976. He implemented Murtala Mohammed’s transition programme and handed over to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a northerner as civilian president in 1979.

Implications of abandoning zoning

Those opposed to zoning fear that Jonathan might be too ambitious and aspire to rule the country for 10 years; that is two  years of Yar’Adua’s remaining tenure, four years first term and another four years of second term that he is constitutionally allowed to go for.

Hence, they want the North to oppose Jonathan’s ambition with her electoral might.

However, a note of caution is coming from those opposed to zoning. Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Mukhtari Shehu Shagari wants the North to be cautious in the way they emphasise the issue of zoning in deciding the next President. He said the North naturally owed it a duty to compensate the South_South zone, for supporting the North in all the political arrangements the country had operated in the last 50 years.

Shagari reportedly noted that President Goodluck Jonathan had every right like every other Nigerian to contest for the presidency next year.

He said: “I believe it is time for people of the North to reward the South_South for their loyalty in the past because I cannot remember at anytime in the history of the country when the South_South did not go along with the North.

So, I think we should also reciprocate the gesture and if at the end of the day, the PDP decides to field Jonathan as the presidential candidate, I believe it is the duty of the North, especially the Northwest, to support him because one good turn deserves another.

“We should not make this thing to look as if it is tribal, ethnic or regional. Some people are now saying that Jonathan should not contest and power should remain in the North. I want to remind them that the South_South for over 50 years have been supportive to the political aspirations of the North. Thus, if today somebody from South_South is in power, it is just like our own brother whose people have been very supportive of ours in the past.”

Secretary of the Political Committee of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, criticised Northern leaders that are backing zoning and, described their position as unrealistic.

The ACF chieftain further noted that those who were claiming to be speaking for the North on the issue of 2011 general elections were no longer relevant.