BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – There are strong indications that the running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is likely to come from the Northeast geo-political zone.
Already, Tinubu, who is believed to be concluding his consultations with key party stakeholders is expected to unveil his running mate on Wednesday ahead of the timeline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Information pieced together by Forefront indicated that the Governors on the platform of the APC and other party officials have resolved that the Northeast should produce the running mate to Tinubu.
The micro-zoning of the position to the Northeast, it was gathered did not go down well some governors of the Northwest geopolitical zone who were at the forefront of pursuing a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the own selfish agenda.
It was also gathered that Tinubu may have also resolved to go for the hard trick of a Muslim/Muslim ticket to assuage the nerves of some of the governors from the Northwest led by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State but, is being careful of possible backlash as a result of agitation from different organisations and powerful individuals that are kicking against such a move considered dangerous to the oneness and unity of purpose of the country.
The lists of those being pandered as likely candidates for the vice presidential slot of the APC include Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
Speaking on the issue, one of the associates of the APC presidential candidate, Mr. Hakeem Bamgbala from Lagos state, said that Asiwaju Tinubu would surely unveil his running mate in the next few days, adding however that the leadership of the party is yet to decide on the dicey and controversial issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Bamgbala said; “The issue of this Muslim-Muslim ticket is still speculative till the next two to three days when the party will unveil Asiwaju’s running mate.
“It is not enough for anybody to just come out to say the APC is fielding a Muslim VP. Nobody has mentioned that. We are still looking at a credible Northerner who can be a Christian too to pair with Tinubu”.
Also commenting on the matter, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, said that the process of deciding on the vice presidential candidate is not a unilateral one, adding that the party is not in competition of time with the PDP to make the announcement of a running mate to Tinubu.
In his words; “The choice of vice president will be made through consultation with the party and relevant stakeholders. Nigerians should be patient as they decide on the candidate and the part of the country he is coming from.
“I am sure you know that since the convention, the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been on the road reaching out to and meeting all the aspirants and co-contestants at the primary. And in doing so, he is rallying them back to the base in readiness for the upcoming campaign,” he said.
