2011: PLOT TO REPLACE JONATHAN WITH SAMBO THICKENS

President Goodluck Jonathan
Even as the coast appears clear for President Goodluck Jonathan to press on with his presidential ambition, there are schemings for Vice President Namadi Sambo to contest for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ticket instead of the president.

Checks revealed that the Sambo camp is at the centre of the plot for the vice president to replace Jonathan as the official candidate of the PDP.

Sources say that the move to draft Sambo manifested in the vice president's recent trips to the North, in the course of which he repeatedly presented himself as the candidate the North should trust.

A source said: 'Sambo says he is the authentic northern consensus candidate, not Atiku,' adding that the vice president is vigorously pursuing the northern political leadership for support.

It added that Sambo has always said that there is no northern consensus candidate, alleging that it was an attempt to level the ground for himself to emerge as the consensus candidate.

Sambo is believed to be mounting pressure on northern elders to endorse him. Also, his camp is said to be working to get the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) members to revisit the controversial decision on zoning, believing that if zoning is affirmed, Jonathan would rather want him to run for 2011 presidency instead of letting another candidate get the party's ticket.