Former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has rejected offer from his political associates to pick himself as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari.
The associates of the former Lagos State governor who is also the national leader of the party has been mounting pressure on him to run as he VP to Buhari following the concession giving to him by Buhari to pick this running mate.
Buhari, while conceding the VP slot to Tinubu had reportedly told him that he could either choose himself or recommend somebody else for the job, but Tinubu, rather than opting to take the first offer, especially as pressures from his close associates piles him him prefers tht someone else from the South West take the ticket.
The major problem for the party now is finding a South Westerner with the kind of political clout, charisma and reach like Tinubu. That, analysts say, is what Buhari needs to ensure the block votes from the region and make forays into other areas. Yemi Osinbajo, Wale Edun, Ayo Opadokun and Senator Mamora are on the shortlist.
Mewanwhile, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress APC, led by its national chairman, John Oyegun, have been involved in very wide consultations as to whom the vice presidential candidate to General Muhammadu Buhari should be.
Rather than being guided by sentiments and contrary to unsubstantiated insinuations that Bola Tinubu is delaying the process, the party is relying on research and survey findings and looking at the best person who can make up for Buhari’s perceived weaknesses.
A party leader scoffed at media reports about the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, being offered the VP slot.
“Too many stories are being circulated,” the APC leader, who asked to remain anonymous, said. “While we understand the interest in that position, APC will not be stampeded by anyone.”
Investigations show that the party may have conceded the VP slot to the South West region and it’s not going to change that. The region has always being the strong hold for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that merged to form the APC.
Apart from that, the bulk vote from the South West combined with votes of Akwa-Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa delivered by Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State gave Buhari a landslide victory in Lagos, a source said. So it would only be natural for the region to produce Buhari’s running mate.
The intrigues and permutations notwithstanding, the APC have until Monday afternoon to submit a name.
