Tinubu, Govs disagree on Buhari’s running mate By Johnson Ayantunji, Temidayo Akinsuyi (Lagos) and Rotimi Akinwumi (Abuja) Four days after a successful convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), emerged the presidential candidate, the party is yet to agree on who becomes his running mate. Buhari Tinubu This is causing ripples between the governors and National Leader, Bola Tinubu. While the Governors are rooting for Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Tinubu is insisting on his ex-Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Yemi Osibajo. Sources within the leadership of the party confided in Daily Independent that the governors including former Kwara State Governor and Chairman, Senate Committee on the Environment, Senator Bukola Saraki, alleged that Osibajo has no electoral value and cannot win election. “He is not a politician and does not have a national clout,” they were quoted to have said. Tinubu on the other hand, said Buhari’s running mate must come from the South West. Whatever the argument both sides are putting up, a running mate must emerge today. This has become inevitable as today is the deadline going by INEC’s guideline. “Final decision will be taken today,” our source said, adding that they are likely to reach a decision. Investigations by Daily Independent revealed also that the party top echelons have agreed that the leadership of the National Assembly, especially, the Senate, should come from the South West. With the Vice President slot allocated to the South South, interest groups within the party are already spoiling for fight in the quest to clinch the coveted position, with sentiments being whipped up on which of the groups within the party, should produce the Vice Presidential candidate. It was gathered those interested in being Buhari running mate are fighting themselves dirty in the bid to clinch the slot. The bitterness with which the interested parties are going about the struggle is, however, causing headache for the party leaders. Sources said the APC was formed on the strength of two main groups – the Legacy Group comprising the merger parties and the Equity Group made up of the defunct New PDP. The two most important seats in the party for now, the National Chairman and the Presidential candidate, John Oyegun and Muhammadu Buhari, respectively were produced by the Legacy group. The Equity group led by the River State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, is said to be demanding for the Vice Presidential seat and is insisting on getting it no matter what. The decision of the group to clinch the ticket, it was said, was premised on the fact that the leadership of the National Assembly, expected to be formed in 2015, which the APC also believes it would have the majority, have been ceded to the Legacy group again. The party leaders it was gathered are well disposed to having the VP candidate from the South South, despite the fact that chairman of the party, Oyegun is also from the zone. However, South East stakeholders are said to be uncomfortable with the zoning arrangement which seemed not to have taken them into consideration. They are reportedly demanding for either the VP slot or the seat of the National Chairman, which means Oyegun must resign if the party wants to please the South East demand. However, big trouble may break out within the party soon as members of the Equity group are reportedly threatening to cause trouble if they are totally schemed out of the sharing arrangement, the source said. Daily Independent can authoritatively reveal that Oluremi Tunubu, wife of the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, has been chosen and agreed upon as the one to take the seat, in event the APC secures majority in the Senate, enough to manage a simple majority win in event of contest for the seat. The decision, it was gathered, had been on the table for a long time, but was finally agreed on, as a compensation for Bola Tinubu when he agreed to drop his desire to become Buhari’s running mate, leaving the seat for a South South person. Tinubu as well as Buhari himself is said to be rooting for Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole as their preferred candidate in event of a choice of South South person as the VP candidate. Oshimhole is said to be a member of the Legacy group also. However, the chances of Oshiomhole clinching the ticket are slim, considering the fact that Oyegun is an Edo indigene like Oshiomhole. The possibility of taking the slot away from the South South is also said to be on the table with the possibility of former Lagos State Attorney-General, Professor Yemi Osibajo, becoming the chosen candidate ahead of current Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola, and former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, in event the seat is given to the South West as being canvassed in some quarters. However, the party has assured Nigerians that the choice of its presidential running mate would be made within the context of the best democratic ideals, just like that of its presidential candidate. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party urged Nigerians to ignore the widespread and misleading reports in the traditional and social media about the choice of the APC presidential running mate, saying the party was yet to meet on running mate. It described the report that somebody had been picked to run with the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as unnecessarily sensational, downright speculative and totally misleading. ‘’We are using this opportunity to tell Nigerians to pray for us as we seek to pick a running mate for our presidential candidate. This is because this choice is not just for us but for all of Nigeria,’’ APC said. The party said every one of the candidates who had been speculated as a running mate to Gen. Buhari is unquestionably competent to be a Vice President or even President, adding, however, that no choice has been made by the party. ‘’We are glad with the feedback we have received from Nigerians on the transparent and rancour-free manner in which our presidential primary was organised. “We are assuring Nigerians that the choice of our presidential running mate will also be guided by best democratic ideals,” it said. Buhari on Sunday commenced moves at reconciling with other aspirants who lost the ticket to him at the party primary. Buhari, it was gathered, has formed a mini-committee to assist him on his journey to making peace with those who lost the party ticket to him at the party primary conducted in Lagos last Thursday. The first of the reconciliation trip was made to the Abuja home of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar where both leaders reportedly had a “good discussion”. Aside from Atiku, others who participated in the APC primary were Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Nda Isaiah. A dependable source told Daily Independent that the meeting held in Atiku’s house on Sunday, was fruitful as the former VP assured Buhari of his willingness to keep to his promise to give all necessary support to the APC candidate as he battles President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential seat. Atiku it was gathered, told Buhari that he was not bitter over being defeated at the party primary and that being a sincere democrat, he had made up his mind even before the shadow election to go along with the decision of the party, no matter what it turned out to be. “The former VP is not desperate to govern Nigeria against what the PDP is trying to sell to Nigerians and APC members in particular with a view to causing crisis within the party,” the source stated. The rest of the losers, the source said, will be visited before the week runs out.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 04:51:17 +0000
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