Sambo may emerge as VP today . Shema, Dakingari on shortlist

[Muhsin]

Sambo may emerge as VP today . Shema, Dakingari on shortlist,
WRITTEN BY NASIRU L. ABUBAKAR

Governor of Kaduna State Architect Mohamed Namadi Sambo's name is set to be submitted by President Goodluck Jonathan to the National Assembly this morning for confirmation as Vice President of the Federal Republic, a top legislative source told Daily Trust in Abuja last night. However, the source added that two other PDP governors from the North West region, namely Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina and Alhaji Saidu Usman Nasamu Dakingari of Kebbi were also on the shortlist and may spring a last-minute surprise.
On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Sambo led a large delegation from Kaduna State, which included all its powerful political actors as well as traditional rulers and clerics, to visit President Jonathan at the State House. They condoled with him over the death of President Umaru Yar'adua and they also congratulated him on his elevation. Afterwards, Daily Trust learnt that Sambo had a private meeting with President Jonathan, and it is believed that it was at that meeting that he was intimated of his choice as the new vice president.

According to the source, President Jonathan had earlier settled for Secretary to the Government of the Federation Mahmud Yayale Ahmed as the new vice president following Jonathan's own elevation to the presidency on Wednesday last week, due to the death that day of President Umaru Yar'adua. However, he said the president later changed his mind after consultations with party and legislative leaders. Dr. Jonathan apparently accepted the argument that the vice president should come from the North West since, with Yar'adua's death, the zone no longer has a high-profile Federal public office holder. He also agreed with the state governors that a vice president should be selected from among their ranks.

Architect Sambo, a trained architect and owner of a sprawling firm of architectural consultants, emerged as governor of Kaduna State in 2007 almost out of the blues, because he had not been active in the state's politics for years. He was for 5 years a Commissioner for Agriculture in old Kaduna State in the 1980s and early 1990s. He also sought the state's governorship under the platform of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) in 1996-97, but subsequently returned to business practice. In late 2006, with the support of incumbent governor Ahmed Mohamed Makarfi, he won the PDP primaries and went on to clinch the governorship.

His record in Kaduna State in the last three years includes the famous security outfit Operation Yaki that has virtually stamped out armed robbery in the state; his launching of an urban rail transit program, building new huge water works in Zaria and two other towns, his building the brand new Millennium City on Kaduna's eastern wing, as well as building an 1000-bed ultra-modern hospital in the new city.

On Tuesday, the Senate's Northern caucus had backed Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Namadi's former political godfather with him he subsequently had a political fall-out. The two men and their supporters have been engaged in low-intensity political guerrilla warfare in recent years in a quarrel sparked off by the sharing of political dividends. Makarfi's nomination was also supported by the Northern House caucus.

Last night, top officials of the Kaduna State Government claimed they had no knowledge of their governor's impending elevation to the vice presidency. Director General for Media Affairs in the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Malam Umar Sani said Governor Namadi Sambo had returned to the state from Abuja and was continuing with him work and they had no information about any appointment.

However, another source said meetings were already being held in Kaduna in preparation for today's expected announcement. The source said top political leaders in the state were preparing to swear in Deputy Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa as the new governor and were already shortlisting candidates for appointment as deputy governor.

Although National Assembly sources firmly said the president will send his nominee's name before he leaves Abuja for a visit to Rivers State today, a security source said five names were submitted to the SSS late yesterday for screening. They includ Governors Namadi Sambo, Ibrahim Shema, Saidu Dakingariand  Sule Lamido.

Daily Trust