No Decision On Tinubu’s Running Mate After Buhari’s Meeting With APC Chairman, Governors

Efforts to arrive at a decision on the running mate for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, is continuing as President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday morning held a closed-door meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and governors on the platform of the party.

The meeting which held at the presidential villa was aimed at closing ranks to pick someone that will complement the person of Tinubu, in order to produce a winning ticket in the 2023 election.

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Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, led his colleagues to the meeting, which was joined by Adamu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Sighted among the governors were Governors Babagana Zulum, Borno, Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna and Simon Lalong, Plateau, three of the governors on the shortlist of Tinubu’s running nate.

Also at the meeting were Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa, Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa, Yahaya Bello, Kogi, and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

Although, northern stakeholders of the party are rooting for former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, who was part of Tinubu’s campaign team during the primary, others prefer El-Rufai due to his political reach in the North.

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The search for the running mate has become a complex affair for the APC in view of the fact that the party’s candidate is a Muslim from the South, choosing a Muslim running mate could land the party in controversy.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the umbrella body of Nigerian christians, has risen against any of such prospects with key stakeholders and party members saying it could signal a death knell for the party’s hope to retain power in 2023.

The meeting with the president ended without any revelation as parties have three days left to file in all data concerning their presidential candidates, running mates, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, according to the electoral time table issues by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the president will not impose his will but will advise and submit three names to the candidate to choose from.

Tinubu has embarked on meding fences by visiting different other presidential aspirants he defeated and has said he will choose his running mate based on credibility, merit and political consideration.

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Tinubu emerged as the candidate of the APC during last Wednesday’s presidential primary at Eagle Square in Abuja. He’s a former governor of Lagos State and is highly regarded as the APC National Leader.

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