ARE CRACKS EMERGING in
the camp of a presidential hopeful with a long history in public service?
Sources familiar with his playbook intimate that camps have already formed
within the nascent campaign — one pushing for him to join an amorphous
opposition outfit and another insisting he jealously guards his image and
remains independent. The former group insists that the chances of winning a
values-based campaign are dismal, while the latter argues that his solid
reputation for integrity would be tainted by association with individuals who
have questionable records in the crowded alliance. It remains to be seen which
direction the deeply religious man will take.
***
A LAWMAKER IN a rural county reportedly banged the table in
anger at reports that an urban MP has shifted base to his area, allegedly taking direct aim at the governor’s
seat that he has also been salivating for. Worse for the rural MP, a colleague
intends to join the party seen as the most dominant in the region. In addition,
the party is his new competitor’s “family outfit”, making it an obvious choice
for him. The disgruntled MP is now reportedly plotting how to establish a
working relationship with a dissenting movement that has been opposing one of
the party leaders in the larger region — perhaps as a fallback plan.
***
A GOVERNOR FROM an important county is lately allegedly emotionally
unstable, as the chances of his re-election keep sliding. The man had banked on
a political partnership between some major parties to reboot his fortunes, but
a young rabble-rouser from one of those parties has become a persistent thorn
in his side. We are told the young opponent is aggressively courting support
from the inner sanctum of his party — the very outfit the incumbent had hoped
to jump to at the right time — and the efforts are not fruitless. The governor’s
advisers are now exploring alternatives, including convincing him to seek an
alternative elective job if the numbers for re-election fail to add up.
***
LEGISLATORS FROM A restive region reportedly toasted wildly
at news of the axing of top officials in key government agencies. Why? We are
told the lawmakers were frustrated with the key bosses for allegedly blocking
their efforts to access lucrative tenders due to hostility toward the
administration. They claim their tenders — or those of their proxies — were
either not paid after completing the work or were dismissed out of hand. The
MPs are now engaged in quiet diplomacy to win favor with the replacements.
