2015 presidency linked to calls for emergency declaration in Kaduna

BY Henry Umoru

ABUJA—THERE were strong indications yesterday that the fight for the presidency in 2015 is responsible for calls for the declaration of state of emergency in Kaduna state following bombings of Churches and the reprisal attacks that followed during which scores of people were killed.

Beyond the issue of security, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is alleged to be nursing presidential ambition for 2015, which is pitting him against President Goodluck Jonathan and his ardent loyalists, is seen as deliberately moving towards working to destabilise Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who he has accused of working with former governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Makarfi against his interest.

Vanguard gathered that the Kaduna State governor is believed to have told Sambo severally that he would not in any way accept to fight Makarfi, who was nice and kind to him, having appointed him first as the Secretary to the State Government, and later nominated him as a deputy governor, a position he retained before becoming a governor two years ago.

Vanguard gathered that the former governor of the state and Vice President Sambo may be pushing for the state of emergency in the state because of perceived political differences with his former deputy and present governor, Patrick  Yakowa, just as it was also gathered that there has been cold war between them over certain appointments in the state as well as at the federal level.

The move by Vice President Sambo for the state of emergency in Kaduna State may not be unconnected with the briefings on the situation and assessment report by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyin Petirin and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar to the state on Wednesday.

It was gathered that the National Security Adviser, NSA, General Andrew Azazi was not comfortable with the state of emergency in Kaduna State and had kicked against such on the premise that intelligence and security report available was not enough to warrant a declaration of a state of emergency.

According to a source, Azazi told Sambo that a declaration of a state of emergency would further worsen the already tensed situation in the state as it may further polarize the people along tribal and religious lines.

The source said further that when it became very obvious that he cannot push for the state of emergency, he made a u-turn by sending his aides and led by his political Adviser, Senator Isaiah Balat to reach out to prominent people in the state with a message of peace with specific instruction that the people should be made to believe that he worked against the declaration of the state of emergency.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/2015-presidency-linked-to-calls-for-emergency-declaration-in-kaduna/