An Ulster Unionist councillor, Mr Jonathan Bell, who recently expressed his willingness to challenge Mr David Trimble for the UUP leadership, was last night reserved in his comments.
"I stand by the remarks I have made, but I am not adding to them at this stage," he said. "I am having widespread meetings at all levels of the party."
A source close to Mr Trimble said he believed it could signify a tussle in the anti-agreement wing of the party, with the possibility that someone had "sat" on Mr Bell. Earlier this week Mr Bell, one of the organisers of last summer's anti-agreement "long march" for victims, announced he was willing to allow his name go forward as a "stalking horse" against Mr Trimble.
"I've allowed my name to go forward for consideration. The straw that broke the camel's back has been the abject failure of Trimble to secure anything of significance in terms of change of the Patten report," he said.
Challengers do not have to formally declare themselves until the party's a.g.m. on March 25th. Mr Willie Ross, the MP for East Derry, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
Whether the opposition to the leadership will materialise in the form of a stalking horse, a candidate who usually has no chance of success, or a more substantial candidate, or even whether it will materialise at all, remains unclear.
"Jonathan Bell would be wiped," said one UUP source. "Willie Ross is a heavyweight, but I doubt even he has substantial support."
Mr Peter Weir, the UUP Assembly member for North Down who lost the whip for voting against the party, has urged observers to wait until the meeting before judging. A member of the anti-agreement Union First group, Mr Weir said if a challenge emerged the identity of the challenger would become clear in time. "This is an internal matter, but everyone in the party must weigh up the alternatives," he said. "No one in politics can take things for granted."