The allegedly controversial letter written by second republic President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari had continued to cause scare within the political gladiators in the North West. Sources within the Presidency had given the Leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) a copy of Shagari’s alleged letter to the Presidential Candidate of the opposition party, General Muhammadu Buhari on the 12th of January, 2015, the day Igbo leaders under Ohanaeze sneaked into Aso Rock for the first batch of endorsement of Jonathan’s re-election bid.
However, efforts by IMC leaders in Sokoto to get Shagari’s views on the circulating letter proved abortive as his aides pleaded that the old man be left off the hate filled Buhari-Jonathan campaigns. However, events at Shagari’s 90th Birthday where he reportedly endorsed Jonathan in secret and the grumblings of APC members in Sokoto State who accuses him of working against Northern interests may have lent credence to the letter.
This letter being circulated among few northern elites as a ground for Jonathan’s re-election bid is gradually gaining acceptance in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi axis. However, those opposed to Shagari’s views as expressed in the alleged letter pointed at the constant humiliation of the Sokoto born Speaker of Nigeria’s Parliament Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal by President Jonathan and the strong rumors that a Jonathan second tenure will dethrone Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar as the Sultan and replace him with the current NSA, Sambo Dasuki.
However, APC Chieftains in Sokoto told the leadership of IMC that the elder statesman can never write such letter and that the vengeance in the said letter is not in line with the spirit of Islam.
Shagari had earlier indicated his support for Jonathan in his forward to a book titled “Jonathan-A Photographic Rise to The Presidency’ being circulated among PDP faithful where he said that “I sincerely could never have imagined that in my life time, under constitutional rule, with a deep and broad mandate, a zoologist from Bayelsa, one of our youngest states, could rise to become Commander-in-Chief.
“There is no better indicator that, while much remains to be achieved, our beloved Nigeria is slowly but surely maturing politically. Almost unwittingly, we are strengthening our democratic practice. And we must acknowledge and be thankful of the fact that Jonathan has taken it upon himself to diligently promote one Nigeria not only in words but in action.” (Credit: Elombah).