War Brews Between President Jonathan and VP, Sambo

A cold war brewing between President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice
President Namadi Sambo came out in the open last weekend as the two
political figures attended two different events with their political
allies.
Mr. Jonathan was in Yenagoa, thecapital of Bayelsa State, to bury his
brother, Meni, while Vice President Sambo was in Kaduna to give his
two daughters, Aisha and Huwaila, out in marriage.
A top official of the Peoples Democratic Party told SaharaReporters
that many members of the party were baffled that the president fixed
the burial of his brother on the same day that his vice president had
set for his two daughters' marriage.
SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Sambo's daughters' wedding hadbeen
scheduled months ago. "The president knew about the wedding and
received his invitation long before his brotherdied on November 20,"
said our source, adding that First Lady Patience Jonathan had been
tapped to be "Mother of the Day"at the nuptials.
Several sources disclosed that therelationship between the President
and the Vice President started to deteriorate when Sambo received
reliable indications that Mr. Jonathan wasdetermined to run for
another term in office. The prospect of the president's going for a
second term has alarmed Northern political figures, amongthem the vice
president, who hadbeen calculating ways of retakingNigeria's highest
political office.
"We know that some northern elders have been putting pressure on Vice
President Sambo to position himself to challenge the president," said
a source close to Mr. Jonathan.
Other sources in Aso Rock told usthat President Jonathan was well
aware that Mr. Sambo is exploring options for running forthe
presidency in 2015. "He has been trying to raise his profile and rally
political heavyweights and operatives to his corner," said a Jonathan
associate. The source accused the VP of "trying to flex his political
muscles, but he should know that, even if Mr. President decides not to
run, he [the president] will still have a sayin who succeeds him."
One of Mr. Jonathan's men said that they came close to declaring war
"after Vice President Sambo selected a powerful delegation and went
with them to pay a condolence visit to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on the
loss of his daughter."
A political observer described thescenes in Yenagoa and Kaduna last
weekend as resembling "a realignment of political forces around
President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo." Those who mourned with
Mr. Jonathan in Yenagoa included Senate President David Mark, who also
has presidential ambitions, as well as numerous Nollywood players. On
the other hand, such personalities as Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,
Muhammadu Buhari and several Northern political figures, traditional
rulers and business executives attended the vice president's more
festive event.
A source close to the vice president disclosed that Mr. Jonathan was
in a precarious position. "He is waging an ongoing political war
against [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo," said the source.
A confidant of President Jonathan's admitted that members of the
president's campwere angry at Mr. Obasanjo for trying to remotely
control the ruling party long after his exit from power. The People
Democratic Party recently stated that there was no plan to reconcile
the president and Mr. Obasanjo.
On his part, Mr. Obasanjo has said in private and public forums that
President Jonathan is boundto leave in 2015. The former president's
statement is at odds with Aso Rocks' strategy of leaving Mr.
Jonathan's opponentsguessing as to his next plans.