Horse-trading In The Villa As Buhari, APC Govs Decide On Tinubu’s Running Mate

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday met with the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State led his colleagues to the meeting which held at a time the party was holding high level consultations on the choice of running mate to its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Those in attendance were Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, governors Babagana Zulum, Borno, Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa, Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa, Simon Lalong, Plateau, Yahaya Bello, Kogi, and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

Tinubu has pencilled down the name of Shettima, who played a critical role in his campaign as his running mate.

However, some elements of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) are said to be planning to approach President Buhari to recommend Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice or the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, for the position of the vice president.

It was equally gathered that a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babagana Kingibe, who was running mate to late MKO Abiola in the June 12, 1993, presidential election, has forwarded three names to the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku for onward transmission to Tinubu for consideration.

The list has the name of the Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed and a liaison officer to the National Assembly during Olusegun Obasanjo’s first tenure, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, for consideration.

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The trio are Muslims from the North East geopolitical zone. The nomination came amid agitation over the moves by the APC to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

This move has elicited opposition from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and some stakeholders in the APC.

(Headline based on report in News Express, Daily Sun and Daily Trust)