Obasanjo is also reported to be unsettled by the imminent trial of his former aide and confidante, Mr. Adeyanju Bodunde, over the $180 million Halliburton bribe scandal.

“The former president believes it is trial by proxy,” the source said, hinting that the zone might come up with another position to declare itself “neutral” in the presidential race.

The endorsement of Jonathan two weeks ago had created ripples in the camp of former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who is also interested in the race.

In a statement by the Media and Communication Director of his campaign, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Babangida had accused Obasanjo of going back on his word to be “neutral”, stating: “The recent reported endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan who has not declared his intention to run defeats the earlier neutrality position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on choice of aspirants. As one of the leaders of the party, a former president and elder statesman, we expect that his word should be his bond. We will not be drawn into any argument with those who easily suspect the political moves of former President Obasanjo, but we insist that a true leader should stand by his word.”

But former presidential spokesman and PDP chieftain in Ogun State, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the endorsement was a joint decision by the leaders of the party in the South-west as “anybody who was somebody was in attendance”.

Last week, Jonathan finally informed 11 PDP governors at a meeting in Abuja that he would be stand in the January poll.

He appointed six governors from the geo-political zones to co-ordinate his campaign.

They are Governors Ibrahim Shema for the North-west, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State for the North-east, Gabriel Suswam of Benue for Nort-central, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State for the South-east, Liyel Imoke for the South-south and Daniel for the South-west.

Daniel is to be assisted by a close associate of Obasanjo and former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Daniel, meanwhile, had openly canvassed the candidature of Babangida in the past.

Speaking earlier in Abeokuta at his 50th birthday, Daniel called on Nigerians to forgive Babangida for his “past errors of judgment”, saying the ability to forgive would enhance development and harmony in the country.

In what was understood to be a subtle campaign for IBB’s presidential ambition, Daniel urged Nigerians to erase the sins of the former military ruler from their memory.

The governor said though Nigerians may fault IBB, “some of his achievements while holding the exalted office, his passion for the progress and peace of Nigeria could hardly be faulted”.

In the meantime, Obasanjo is said to be unhappy with the president over the the trial of Bodunde, his former PA.

Bodunde is to be tried over an allegation that he received $5 million in cash payments from six other suspects – George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler, Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.

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“When I last saw President Mugabe he said the prevailing peace was ideal for us to go for an election and this time we agreed that whoever loses should make way for the winner,” Tsvangirai said.

Tsvangirai won the first round of the 2008 presidential election but did not garner enough votes to secure an outright victory.He was stopped from running in a run-off poll by an orgy of violence, which the MDC-T blamed on the security forces.

Army generals have in the past vowed that Tsvangirai would never rule this country as long as they were alive.

Yesterday the MDC-T leader said he and Mugabe hoped that peace would hold until elections so as to produce a definite single winner.

He said elections were prescribed by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union as the only way to deal with the Zimbabwe question and his party was keen to follow that directive.

“We are going for an election as Sadc and the AU have said an election is the only way to close this chapter,” the Prime Minister said.

Mugabe has also been on a drive calling for elections next year and is reported to have ordered Finance minister Tendai Biti to budget $200 million for polls set for next year.

Half of that money will be set aside for a referendum on the new constitution whose drafting is expected to be complete by April next year.

The other $100 million will be for holding presidential elections, which are set to be held after the referendum.

On the new constitution, Tsvangirai said he and his party would return to tell the electorate how to vote and if the wishes of the people were not followed they could tell them to oppose it as they had done in 2000.

He said even if the constitution was drafted it would still have to be a negotiated settlement as none of the parties had a two thirds majority and so they could not pass it without compromise.

Already Zanu PF has threatened to campaign for a no vote if their stance on land and homosexuality were not catered for in the draft.

MDC-T chairman Lovemore Moyo weighed in telling the party faithful to prepare for elections as the country was inevitably drawing closer to holding a vote.

“I do not know when elections are but what I can tell you is that stay prepared as we will be going for them soon,” he said.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe have been calling for elections next year despite expert advice that free and fair polls were not possible next year.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has advised that a proper voters’ roll can only be ready in 18 to 24 months making holding of credible elections next year impossible.

However, the Prime Minister and the president have defiantly said they wanted elections next year as the inclusive government was untenable.

Meanwhile, the co-Minister of Home Affairs Theresa Makone revealed that a junior ranking police officer had written to Tsvangirai ordering him to cancel the party celebrations.

But that order was defied as the MDC-T went ahead with the celebrations without any incidences.

Party supporters from all over the country converged at an open ground at Gokwe Centre for the day-long celebrations.

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Ribadu is believed to be gunning for the presidential ticket of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and is expected to formally declare his bid on Sunday, September 19, after months of speculations.

Saraki is yet to openly discuss his ambition, but it is believed that he is already setting up his campaign structure and may declare in the coming weeks on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Gusau, who is believed to be preparing to join the race too, is also expected to declare on the platform of PDP, where President Goodluck Jonathan will also seek his own ticket. Jonathan, according to sources, would formally declare his decision to run on Saturday, September 18.

It was not immediately clear who are behind the posters in Abuja as associates of the two of the personalities told THISDAY last night that they knew nothing about the veiled campaign.

An associate of Ribadu told THISDAY: “We suspect that this is the work of an outsider. We don’t know what they intend to achieve with it.”

A Saraki associate said: “Yes, we’ve heard about the posters, but we don’t know anything about it. We understand the posters were of three different persons and the designs all look alike. It is possible that it is the same set of people that are behind this.”

Gusau told THISDAY last night that he was hearing of the posters for the first time. “I am not a party to it,” he said.

Only Gusau’s posters carried the clear political message of running for president next year. It read: “Gusau for President”.

It was also being suggested that it might be the work of some groups that are campaigning for “fresh blood” in government, given the ages of Ribadu and Saraki.

Some groups in the North have been campaigning that Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida, who are both former heads of state, should withdraw from the race, along with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The Ribadu poster had the legend: “Youth 4 change Yes We Can!!!… Courtesy: Change Group Nigeria.” There was no clear political message, although “Yes we can” was the campaign slogan of President Barack Obama of the United States.

Saraki’s two different posters read: “Happy Sallah His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki CON Tested and Trusted Courtesy: Civil Liberties Concern.”

Gusau’s poster read: “Gusau for President Tested and Trusted for Security and Development.” It described the retired general as “the right man for the 2011 presidency”.

Interestingly, Gusau’s poster gave the phone numbers of one Alhaji Abdullahi Mahmoud Kamba as 08038457033, 08038460977, 07059183370 and 07059115061. Kambo was described as the National President of CADEGG, which claimed to have sponsored the posters

The posters, which were seen at bus stops around the Federal Secretariat and other areas, might also have been the handiwork of some mischief makers who want to know the actual interest of the three men in the 2011 presidential race.

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