JUST IN: APC Fails To Agree On Vice Presidential Candidate, Picks Tinubu’s Interim Running Mate

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has failed to pick a running mate for it’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the 2023 election.

Political parties have until 6pm on Friday 17 (today) to file in the names of their presidential candidates and their running mates. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said its automated server will shut down automatically by 6pm.

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The major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, picked its running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, the Delta State Governor, on Thursday.

APC’s search for the running mate has run into troubled waters since the emergence of Tinubu, who is a Muslim from the South, as finding a ‘suitable’ candidate to run with him has degenerated into controversy.

The conventional practice of having a joint ticket from two major religions in the land is being discountenanced as the APC is believed to be planning a Muslim/Muslim ticket.

This has not gone down with some individuals and groups who have expressed dissent and argued that a country with multiple religions like Nigeria must not allow one religion to dominate the others.

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The party’s inability to arrive at an acceptable running mate to beat the deadline set by INEC has led to a stop gap measure which produced Kabir Ibrahim Masari, a member of the Board of Trustee of the party, who would now be the interim vice presidential candidate.

Confirming the development to THE WHISTLER on Friday, Bayo Onanuga, the Director of Communication of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation said, “Yes, It is true that we are filing in a gentleman from Katsina State.
“Our candidate is not ready. We still have time till August. By August when our candidate finishes his consultation, he will substitute the person with the real vice presidential candidate.

“’For now, that is the situation. He is still consulting. By August we will have the real person on the ballot,” Ononuga said.

Nigeria holds its presidential election in February 2023.

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