In spite of the insistence by former Military President General Ibrahim  Babangida that he will abide by the Northern PDP consensus agreement, there are  indications that ``he is very unhappy about the arrangement which produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the Northern Consensus candidate``.

``We understand from people close to him that IBB is very unhappy about the whole arrangement,``said an insider monitoring events since Atiku emerged as the consensus candidate by the Adamu Ciroma-led committee of Northern Political leaders Forum, NPLF.

Newdiaryonline sources revealed on Tuesday night that IBB is still seen by those monitoring events as a likely candidate.``We understand he may organize a loud movement from PDP into another party and relaunch his presidential ambition,’’said one source .Even hints from diplomatic circles indicate that IBB may still run in  the 2011 presidential race.

But there are those who believe he will be making a big mistake if he breaks away from the consensus arrangement which he willingly entered into. The consensus agreement eventually culminated in the emergence of Abubakar after weeks of consultation and voting on the last day by the Ciroma Committee members.

Interestingly, soon after Abubakar emerged, some of IBB loyalists and watchers saw the development as an escape route for Babangida  whom many feared may have put his `reputation’ in danger by seeking to contest PDP primaries against President Goodluck  Jonathan.``I think it’s better for him to just stay at the background now behind Atiiku,Whatever happens to Atiku, IBB can be saved the embarrassment of being floored by Jonathan using state machinery,’’ an observer told newsdiaryonline.

But it emerged late last night that IBB and his strategists are not thinking of giving up on his presidential ambition yet . Perhaps the clearest hint that IBB is restrategizing could be gleaned from the letter he wrote to the PDP chairman Dr Okwesilieze  Nwodo threatening to quit the party if it fails to abide by the zoning agreement.This threat may just be his alibi for IBB’s  next move as it is very unlikely that the PDP will  stop President Jonathan from running.This anti zoning posture of the party it seems may be IBB’S excuse for dumping the PDP and moving into the next party to actualize his ambition.His plan had been known by some insiders even before he released the letter on Tuesday.

In  a  personally signed   letter  to  the  national  chairman  of  the PDP,   Nwodo,   IBB  said  with  the  ruling  of  the  High  Court  of  the  Federal  Capital  Territory  in  the  suit  of Sani  Aminu  Dutsinma Vs.  Peoples  Democratic  Party, it is incumbent on the party leadership  the   to  obey  the  court  order  .

"It is clear from the said judgment that the provisions of the constitution are so clear as not to require the assistance of judicial interpretation in order to understand them,”  IBB  said.

He added that given the court’s ruling, "whatever doubts the National Executive Committee of the party may have had have now been removed. Every member of the party is required to comply with the provisions of the Party Constitution. And so is the President who is the leader of the Party. As great as the office of President is, we should never forget that it does not precede membership of the Party. On the contrary, it is membership of the party that precedes the office of President of the Federal Republic so far as the president was not elected as an independent candidate.

"And so, I urge the National Executive Committee of the Party to enforce the constitution of the party in its totality in the forthcoming election. To do otherwise is to condone this attempt at a gross and deliberate violation of the constitution of the party.

"To do otherwise is tantamount to a declaration that the National Executive Committee of the Party rejects the principles of equity, justice and fairness enshrined in the PDP constitution. It means that they reject the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and that they are not prepared to enforce it in-so-far as it relates to the office of President. It means that they are opposed to the creation of socio-political conditions conducive to natural peace and unity by ensuring fair and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities.

"It simply means that they reject and are therefore not prepared to conform to the principles of power shift and power sharing by rotating key political offices amongst the diverse peoples of our country and devolving powers equitably between the Federal, State and Local Governments in the spirit of federation.

"If the Party has become so helpless in the face of these gross violations of its own constitution by its officers and its highest elected representative, then, many of us shall have no alternative but to reconsider our continued membership of the Party’’ IBB said

One of the aides of Atiku however sees the former military  president’s letter as part of the pressure to get the PDP and Jonathan to do the right thing.The Atiku Aide who spoke on condition of anonymity believes IBB is still committed to the consensus arrangement and he should be given the ‘benefit of the doubt’.

IBB also had furiously denied through his spokesman Kasim Afegbua, recent media reports that he  may dump the consensus arrangement.He said he is commited to it.

But it remains a puzzle that in some  political and diplomatic circles,the possibility of IBB still  joining the 2011 presidential race is seen as very high.That is why in the  next couple of weeks, many  observers will rather be watching out for what IBB does, rather than what he says.