Babangida has found a new lover in Buhari. The former dictators are already in a political honeymoon, where General Ibrahim Babangida is receiving rehabilitation for the damage done to his previous marriage to the People's Democratic Party. The wedding gift from General Mohammadu Buhari is for IBB to select Buhari's running mate.
As a difficult political outcome of the political contract between the two, Buhari is about to drop his running mate and party national chairman, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke for Babangida's choice, the Senate President, Mr. Ken Nnamani.
THISDAY reports that even denial by Ken Nnamani that he was not running with Buhari flies in the face of moves to persuade him to contest with the ANPP candidate, Buhari.
Nnamani, sources confirm, continues to appear in the equation based on "the calculation that he is the most respected politician from the South –East in the current dispensation."
It was also gathered that Buhari has resisted pressure from the South-South that he should pick from the zone to counter the PDP choice of Governor Goodluck Jon-athan of Bayelsa State.
According to an official of the Buhari Campaign organisation, the ANPP candidate "has also left the position of running mate for Babangida to fill, believing that such will really commit him to the project since he has visibly been sidelined by the ruling PDP."
Aside Babangida, Buhari is also known to have consulted widely across the country and is said to have been getting some encouraging support from the people.
Other names featuring in the list for Buhari if Nnamani project with Babangida fails include chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) and former Governor Abia State, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu.
THISDAY checks reveal that ANPP had from the outset gave the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) indication of a possible change of their running mate as the choice of the national Chairman was merely a stop-gap measure.
The Electoral Act 2006 allows such change so long as it occurs before the mandatory date of February 13, the last day for such changes.
THISDAY learnt that Buhari emergence as the flag bearer of the ANPP in December enjoyed the support of most northern politicians.
Babangida was said to have played a prominent role in convincing top candidates like Governor of Zamfara, Ahmed Sani Yarima, his Yobe counterpart, Bukar Ibrahim and former defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) Presidential candidate, Alhaji Bashir Tofa to step down for Buhari who has a better chance at the presidential election.
