The purported ambition of a sitting governor in Nigeria jostling for a Vice presidential slot under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections may have hit a rock.
The governor from one of the oil-rich states in the country (names withheld)) is said to have fought hard to save the struggling party that was embroiled in intra-party crisis for control of the soul as a result of the misadventure in recruiting Senator Ali Modu Sherriff as National Chairman to finish the unexpired portion of tenure of North East Zone following the abrupt exit of Former Governor Adamu Muazu as a result of the failure of the party at the 2015 general elections.
Senator Sherriff insistence on remaining in office beyond the constitutional provision provoked the crisis.
A close source in the governor’s Government House said “Though the governor allegedly supported Sheriff as a National Chairman of the party before the botched National Convention in Port Harcourt, he later turned his back on Sheriff due to some irreconciliable reasons.
“For reasons known to him, the governor was said to have switched his support to Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi as the National chairman of the party.
“However, the Supreme Court’s ruling brought reprieve and restored sanity to the party by recognising Makarfi as the authentic caretaker chairman, thus invigorating his rustic political nest.”
A source that did not want his name to appear in the print confided in Straightnews that the governor started serious spadework by spearheading the emergence of Uche Secondus as the chairmanship candidate of the party who later emerged National Chairman of PDP.
“Upon this smashing success, he tacitly swung into action by scheming for the country’s Number 2 position under his party.
“To sustain his lobbying machine, he started embarking on nocturnal meetings and discreet consultations with some Northern politicians to feel their pulse on his acceptability or otherwise in undertaking the political adventure,” the source stated.
“In showing disdain for the ambition of Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwobo, the convener of the recent meeting and a supposed PDP presidential aspirant whom he thought may not be favourably disposed to his ambition, he and Secondus boycotted the meeting said to have been held at Government House, Gombe in Gombe state.
“At the end of the meeting, PDP governors who attended the meeting expressed misgivings over the overbearing attitude of the said governor in the party, a statement purportedly seen to have been teleguided by Dankwobo.
“To actualise his ambition, he was said to have sent for a South Africa-based televangelist and prophet who visited Nigeria recently as part of tour of duty. He requested to know through the man of God what his future beholds especially if Ann success would come out of his Vice-presidential ambition as that would prolong his immunity cover,” the source added.
In response, the fiery servant of God told him, as if quoting from the Bible Isaiah 59:2-3 which states But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
He seemed to have counselled him quoting from Psalms 51:14 which says Deliver me from bloodthirstiness, O God, thou God of my salvation…
“The prophecy, no doubt, may have caused his vice-presidential ambition to become a pipe dream in the web of brinkmanship,” Straightnews learnt.