By Olawale Rasheed - 05.02.2007

Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that from Kano to Borno and down to Kaduna, the candidature of the trio was a subject of controversy among the Northern political elite, with the situation compounded by the candidature of Governor Attahiru Bafarawa said to be holding sway in the Sultanate states.

While Buhari took the lion share of Northern votes in 2003, the situation is now reportedly muddled up as the three camps are threatening to split the usually monolithic votes of the North in previous elections.

Findings showed that in the Northwestern geopolitical zones comprising Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, the situation has changed with Yar’Adua, Abubakar and Bafarawa grabbling part of Buhari’s previous base.

In Kano and Jigawa, Nigerian Tribune gathered that Buhari’s hold on the ancient city was being challenged by both Vice President Abubakar and Governor Yar’Adua.

It was learnt that the battle for the soul of Kano might be determined by who Governor Ibrahim Shekarau decides to support between Abubakar and Buhari.

Shekarau is said to have fallen out with Buhari for reasons best known to the duo who were together in the 2003 polls.

In Katsina State, the popularity of Buhari is reported to be still high despite the Yar’Adua candidature, just as reports from the state showed that the duo of Atiku and Yar’Adua are making inroads.

For the North-East zone comprising Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Adamawa, the situation is said to be similar to that of the North-West as the three candidates have also sharply divided the Hausa-Fulani elite in the zone.

Findings showed that the vice president has the upper hand in the zone but his hold was being threatened by the candidature of both Yar’Adua and Buhari.

Buhari who gained millions of votes in the region in the last polls was being overtaken by Yar’Adua who has the backing of some leading Hausa-Fulani elite who are fighting both Buhari and Abubakar.

The situation in the North Central where the chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) hails from is reportedly even more confusing.

Top leaders of minority tribes, especially in the Middle Belt, are said to be divided over the trio with Chief Solomon Lar leading the pro-Atiku group while Chief Paul Unongo is leading the pro-Yar’Adua group.

It was learnt that the main Middle Belt group, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), had become polarised due to the question of who to back for presidency.

Sources within the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) told the Nigerian Tribune that the body could not take any position because the outcome was not predictable.

According to the source, who is an official of the ACF, the candidature of the trio was an issue that could not be decided upon because “the factors and questions at hand are many.”

It was also learnt that the same lack of unanimity existed within the council of emirs and chiefs in the North, a reality briefly touched upon by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, on Saturday at his palace.

The ACF official said “the greatest fear we are having now is that the South may decide who wins the presidency for the North.”