No Deal With Jonathan Yet - Atiku's Camp

Lokoja - Reliable sources from within the camp of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the north's consensus candidate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, have told our reporter that the former vice-president has not sealed a deal with President Goodluck Jonathan to support his candidature. The camp agreed that Jonathan visited Alhaji Adamu Ciroma but insisted that the presidency was zoned to the north.

Meanwhile, Jonathan has said that for the nation to rapidly transform into one of the leading economic giants of the world, he remained the most suitable person to pilot her affairs in the next dispensation.

A competent source in the NPLF while admitting yesterday that talks are on going between Jonathan's camp and the NPLF, however, maintained that no resolution had been reached on any issue as the seven member committee set up at last week's meeting was yet to report back.

In a chat with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the source said that the position of the NPLF on zoning had not changed, and added that this was made clear to Jonathan's emissaries that "a new agreement on the issue was a sine qua non for any further talks between the two groups. This is contrary to widespread media reports alleging a "u-turn" by the North on the issue of zoning which is central to the dispute between the president and the North."

The source said that last week's meeting between Jonathan and Malam Ciroma at the elder statesman's residence in Abuja was at the behest of the president.

The source, who was privy to the meeting said; " We honoured him as the president. Our only condition was that he should meet us at the chairman, Malam Adamu Ciroma's house. He told us his request and we informed him that we will refer it to a larger body - the G15 and the NPLF.

"The president minced no words in saying that he, not the NPLF or anyone for that matter called the meeting. He recalled the "accidental" circumstances that brought him to office and pledged that he planned to serve a term of four years only. He requested the Ciroma group to come on board to campaign for him.

"At that point, the president was informed that there were issues that must be resolved. Of the five issues listed, key among them was, as to be expected, zoning and then tenure.

"The meeting went back and forth for about two hours. At the end of it, the president asked that a Seven-Member Committee, three from the president, three form NPLF and one from the PDP be empanelled to articulate the issues and report to the meeting expected to have reconvened on Sunday".

Furthermore, the source said that Jonathan made it clear that he was not prepared to lead a divided country.

He had in his delegation, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, chief of staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, principal secretary, Hassan Tukur, chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Halliru Mohammed, a former chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih and a host of other officials.

The NPLF team led by Ciroma, also had former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau, who were presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP, present. Former military president Ibrahim Babangida, a former presidential aspirant also, according to the source, did not attend the meeting, as he was said to be out of the country.