By JIDE AJANI, Editor, Northern Operations
ABUJA — THE Mallam Ciroma-led Northern Political Leaders Forum will take a position  on whetheror not to support the candidacy ofPresident Goodluck Jonathan  today.

Malam Adamu Ciroma

Today’s meeting follows the return to the country, yesterday, of the NPLF’s standard bearer at the PDP presidential primaries and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar.

The options before the Northern leaders are to support Jonathan or fight him using any of the major northern presidential gladiators presently in the fray, that is Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; or Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Although details of the meeting were not immediately made available, Vanguard learnt that the meeting’s focus was mainly on the coming general elections slated for April.

A competent source close to the G-15 told Vanguard that the members “would generally review the last Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential contest where the consensus candidate lost,” adding that “the meeting would also take a look at recent political developments in the country.”

Vanguard has been made to understand that the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Committee, Senator Ben Obi, is being co-opted into the meeting.

The reason for this, Vanguard was told, was the central role which he has been playing in the group even before the emergence of the consensus candidate.

A source close to the group said: “When the G-4, made up of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Chairman), former Vice President Abubakar; General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, met in the past, Senator Obi was always co-opted because of his role as the consensus campaign DG. Even as the G-5 meets tomorrow (today), he would also be in attendance.

The uniqueness in that is that he is the only southerner among them and that speak volumes for loyalty and commitment.”

Meanwhile, feelers from the groups point in the direction of a decision that would favour unity and indivisibility of the nation.

Remarkably, members of the group have resolved to approach the issue with a sense of unity.
Vanguard gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan has been making moves to get the NPLF membership and leadership on board since after the presidential primary.

Information from Aso Rock Presidential Villa also suggests that success was being made in that direction. Today’s meeting is expected to also discuss whether or not the members would fully commit to a Jonathan presidency and, therefore, work for his victory at the polls.

Indicative of the President’s confidence of the NPLF supporting him, he had during the recent rally in Bauchi called for party unity from all as he noted that he was now on the same page with all his rivals for the PDP presidential ticket.