By Wole Masadomi

Minna—Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Aliyu, weekend said the people of the state will resist any attempt to frustrate the former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida out of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP .

Aliyu also cautioned the PDP against attempts to intimidate anyone over the zoning imbroglio threatening the party, adding that, “Nobody should be intimidated, because no one has come up to discuss issues about the zoning or how we can waggle out of it for us to move forward”.

Governor Aliyu who said this during a rally to mark his victory at the Supreme Court in Abuja over the weekend also expressed the resolve of the government and people of the state to support the presidential ambition of Babangida come 2011.

Governor Aliyu maintained that the choice of the state to support the Babangida’s presidential ambition was based on earlier agreement to allow the north have its own fair share of the Presidency for the period of eight years.
Aliyu said he will resist attempts to edge out Babangida from the party pointing out that, “We are supporting IBB because he is our son and since he is looking for the 2011 presidential ticket under the PDP we have no choice but to support him in actualizing his ambition”.

Though he is in support of IBB for the 2011 Presidency going by the earlier PDP arrangement on zoning, Governor Aliyu nevertheless said he is not against President Goodluck Jonathan contesting alongside Babangida on the platform of another political party.

“Whoever is the choice of God will eventually emerge winner, and no matter the pressure from other candidates from the northern extraction from other political parties. We will ensure that PDP has enough supporters to emerge victorious in 2011”.

Governor Aliyu recalled what led to the argument over Goodluck Jonathan contesting the Presidency, adding that, “the PDP arrangements on zoning should be respected. If for any reason it was discovered that the concept is no longer workable, all we need to do is to sit round the table and reviewed our earlier stand and move on so that nobody will be offended.

He said further, “Zoning or rotation of the Presidency is a PDP affair, now that the issue is generating a kind of confusion, it is left for the party caucus to sit on a round table and discuss on how to unravel the matter so that we can move forward.”