2011 Nigeria Election: President Goodluck Jonathan gets Emirs’ Backing

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President Goodluck Jonathan's presidential ambition has got a boost with the support of some major traditional rulers in the Northern part of the country, particularly the emirs.

Investigations by SATURDAY PUNCH on Friday showed that the Northern traditional rulers decided to support the President as part of measures to ensure the unity of the country.

It was learnt that northern presidential aspirants had made several attempts to co-opt the traditional rulers to the move to find a consensus aspirant that would slug it out with Jonathan during the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential primaries.

Currently, four Northern aspirants – former military president Ibrahim Babangida; former vice-president Atiku Abubakar; the immediate past National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau and Gov. Bukola Saraki of Kwara State – are in the presidential race.

But the Northern Leaders' Political Forum, led by a former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, had set up a 17-man committee that would pick a consensus aspirant among the four contenders for the highest office in the land.

SATURDAY PUNCH learnt that in an attempt to get the grass roots support for their plan to produce a consensus aspirant, the committee had been meeting with many traditional rulers in the zone.

It was, however, gathered that the NLPF had so far not succeeded in its efforts to get the backing of the traditional rulers, who enjoy grass roots support in the North.

Source: SATURDAY PUNCH