Lagos , Nigeria ( CNN ) -- Nigeria 's national security adviser has resigned from his post in order to run in the 2011 presidential election , he told CNN on Sunday . In announcing his bid for the presidency , Gen. Aliyu Gusau will compete against President Goodluck Jonathan , who appointed Gusau to his national security post earlier this year to help quell religious clashes in the city of Jos . Gusau is one of four main contenders from the country 's north who announced Friday that they would put forth a single candidate to challenge Jonathan in next month 's primaries for the People 's Democratic Party . Gusau 's announcement comes a day after Jonathan formally declared that he will run in the 2011 elections . `` I have decided to humbly offer myself as a candidate in the presidential primaries of our party , the great PDP ( People 's Democratic Party ) , '' he said Saturday . Under Nigerian `` zoning '' rules , power must shift to different regions and ethnic groups every eight years . Jonathan -- who is from the Niger Delta , in the south -- was part of the joint ticket of the late President Umaru Yar'Adua , who was from the north . Yar'Adua 's death in May , after a long illness , upset the order of the zoning . Yar'Adua was elected in 2007 and his southern replacement threatened to halt the north 's turn at holding power . Under an agreement with the four contenders from the north , Gusau will challenge Jonathan and the bloc will support his bid to try to win the election in favor of the north . The challenge has the potential to split the ruling party when primaries are scheduled to be held between October 18 and 20 . However , Nigeria 's Independent National Electoral Commission indicated in a communique Sunday that it could extend the timeline for the election . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .
Gen. John Gusau will challenge President Goodluck Jonathan . Gusau is part of a northern bloc hoping to take control of the ruling party . Elections are scheduled to be held next month .