The confusion over the choice of the authentic running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is deepening as he has returned to Abuja to continue consultations on the contentious issue.
Tinubu had returned to Lagos on Sunday, June 19, 12 days after the national convention of the party where he emerged APC presidential ticket.
However, his choice of running mate is generating controversies the most with different groups kicking against a potentially same faith ticket. The former Lagos State governor is a Muslim married to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Tinubu, who is from the South-West, is expected to pick his running mate from the North, which is dominated by Muslims. It is believed that Christian politicians from the region are not popular enough to garner massive votes.
The national stakeholders of the APC had urged the party to narrow the search for the vice-presidential candidate to a northern Christian, while the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, advised politicians to feel the pulse of the nation before settling for the next set of leaders.
According to him, political leaders need to make consultations, especially on speculations around Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian tickets for the presidential election.
“The Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket is a difficult and slippery area,” he said.
A group, Northern Nigeria’s Front for Equity and Good Governance, has also rejected the proposed Muslim-Muslim ticket.
While insisting that there are a number of Christian northerners that the APC can choose from, the group recommended that the search is narrowed down to the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, for the sake of equity and justice.
Leader of the group, Zakariya Abdul’aziz, noted that religion had never dictated the voting pattern of the North, adding that the region had always participated in national politics as a diverse but united entity with common goals.
A former Chairman of the APC in Lagos State, Henry Ajomale, however, said the presidential candidate was set to unveil a Muslim as his running mate next month.
Speaking on Sunday Ajomale stated that the slot for the vice-presidential candidate, which is presently being held by would be filled by July 15.
Ajomale told one of our correspondents, “Although we are still consulting, it is certain that the APC will be flying a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“Masari, our placeholder, may likely be substituted before July 15. However, the destination is still between Borno State in the North-East and Kano/Kaduna states in the North-West. Either way, it will be a Muslim running mate.”
The names that have previously been mentioned in the three states are former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima and the incumbent governor, Prof Babagana Zulum. In Kano State, the governor, Abdullahi Ganduje is said to be on the list, while in Kaduna State, the governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is being considered.
