The political calculations in Nigeria may
change ahead of the 2019 presidential election as a leader in the northern part
of the country and retired colonel, Dangiwa Umar, is already being touted as
pressured to contest in the exercise.
Umar is also said to be highly respected in the
north and in many parts of Nigeria because of his integrity and stand on
national issues. He is also a die-hard supporter of the country’s unity.
Though Umar, has not spoken about his intention
to contest, it is learnt that many top Nigerians cut across various political
and business divides are already asking him to throw his hat in the political
ring.
He is said to have pitched tents with the
National Intervention Movement (NIM). If he agrees to run, it means that the
number of prospective contenders for the presidency from the north would have
increased.
Though President Muhammadu Buhari has not
openly declared his intention to seek reelection, his handlers are already
giving the impression that he could take up the challenge again
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president; Sule
Lamido, former governor of Jigawa; Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor and
ex-chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Rabiu Kwankwaso as well as a
host of others are already said to be making moves to contest.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in his
reaction to the news about Umar’s reported entrant into the political battle,
said: “Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar will have my full support and vote if he
runs in 2019 as the presidential candidate of the recently formed National
Intervention Movement otherwise called
The Third Force.” On his part, the second
national vice president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Monday Ubani,
said though he had thought President Buhari would win the 2019 election because
there is no credible alternative, there would be a huge challenge if Umar
decides to run.
“To those who believe in President Buhari, he
is positioned to win the 2019 presidential election perhaps because there are
no credible candidate(s) yet in the horizon. I belong to that category.
“However, if it is true that retired Col
Dangiwa Umar, former military governor of Kaduna, is contemplating and is ready
to run for the office of the president of Nigeria in 2019, then President
Muhammadu Buhari is clearly in trouble.
“If antecedent, acts, works, spoken words, age,
character, consistency are anything to go by, then the battle line is
transparently drawn and I hereby welcome Nigerians to the greatest exciting
time of our age,” he said.
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