The powers of the Nigerian presidency are extensive, and Jonathan’s handlers have been dropping loud hints that they will deploy them to whip the governors – including the northerners – into line. Northern PDP leaders, still pressuring the region’s large group of presidential contenders, including Babangida, to agree on who will fight it out with Jonathan, are already looking beyond the primaries.
尼日利亚总统的权力是很大的，而乔纳森的助手们也一直暗示他们将会利用这些权力来迫使国内各州执政者——包括北方——站到他们那边来。而北方派的党内领导人一方面向包括巴班吉达在内的国内实力派总统竞选者施压，敦促这些人在由谁来与乔纳森进行竞选的问题上达成共识，另一方面，他们已经开始筹划初选之后的事情了。他们威胁说如果得不到人民民主党的支持，就把选票投给其他政党。