INDICATIONS have emerged that prominent Northern leaders and elders who had initially declared support for the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari in the February elections have started reconsidering their position, following alarms that the general might be suffering a serious health challenge.

Online channels had last week indicated that Buhari collapsed during the presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Calabar, Cross River State.

Though the party had denied the report, it was learnt that the development had immediately prompted meetings among top hierarchy of the Northern political establishment to review the Buhari situation.

Sources in the polity had told Sunday Tribune that the North is becoming wary of a possible repeat of the situation it found itself following the death of President Umaru Yar'Adua in office in May 2010, some three years into his tenure, following a debilitating sickness.

The illness had surfaced during the 2007 presidential campaign, leading to rumours of Yar'Adua's death, but he bounced back on the campaign train and won the election.

"The North is beginning to rethink the promised support for Buhari in view of reports that he is suffering from a certain ailment which is believed to be wearing him down. There are also reports that the elders are pushing to cut a deal with Jonathan to complete his tenure in 2019 but extract a promise that power would be returned to the North via a younger and energetic Northerner," a source said.

•BBN360