2023: Division Rocks APC Over Choice Of Tinubu’s Running Mate

With the emergence of the former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the flag bearer of the party in the 2023 Presidential election, the party is in dilemma of who should be his running mate, a party source has revealed.

The party source said there are divergent views of about Muslim/Muslim and Muslim/ Christian tickets. While some members of APC believe that Muslim/ Muslim ticket can still accord the party victory, others have argued that it would be a disservice to the party.

For instance, the spokesperson of the Tinubu Campaign Organization, Bayo Onanuga, has said the choice of a Muslim running mate would not play any disadvantage in the election.

Onanuga cited example of 1992, when late MKO Abiola chose a Muslim in the person of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and won election against a Muslim/ Christian ticket. The spokesperson also revealed that whoever would be the running of the APC Presidential candidate was already known to standard bearer since he had conceded the ticket to the governors on the platform of the party.

However, the party has a limited time to make the decision of who becomes the running mate of their candidate giving the INEC timetable that the candidates name should be submitted on or before June 17.

Among those considered as running mate from the Muslim circle are: Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum; Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai; Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Ganduje and Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru.

From the Christian circle, the party is looking at the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustspha; his predecessor, Engr. Babachir Lawal and former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogora, according to the party source. The former SGF, Babachir Lawal, had at a Television program spoken against a Muslim/Muslim ticket. According to him such will jeopardize the chances of the party in the election.

The issue of who becomes a running mate to a Muslim presidential candidate from the South was one that nearly cost Tinubu the Presidential ticket of the APC, the party source also stated. Before the primaries, one Northerner that his name was on the front burner as a running mate to an APC Presidential candidate from the South was the governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum.

Zulum was severally mentioned as running mate to different Christian presidential aspirants. Unfortunately, the Christian Presidential aspirants, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Rotimi Ameachi, Senator Rochas Okorocha and some others could not clinch the party’s ticket. The zone in which the Vice Presidential candidate would come from is also of a concern.

The Christian candidates considered are from North East and North Central, while the Muslim candidates are from the North West. Speaking, the party source said: “The North West is pushing to get the slot of Vice Presidential candidate. Otherwise, they would have lost out in 2023.

“The North Central has the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and ceding the position of running mate to the Presidential candidate would accord them double position. “For the North East, they have held high positions in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“But all these have to be resolved before June 17 which is the closing date for the submission of candidates.” A supporter of Tinubu, who chose to be anonymous said that Tinubu’s “choice will have profound effects on his chances at the poll.

“Voting choices by electorate in Nigeria are largely informed by factors such as ethnicity, religion, competence and integrity. Unfortunately, the first two play predominant roles among the largest strata of our society.

“Competence and integrity make meaning only to a small fraction of the elite. In any case, both Asiwaju and Atiku arguably rank same on both counts.

“There would be consequences whether Asiwaju chooses a Muslim or Christian from the North as running mate. It is the relative proportion of such backlash and how to deploy an effective mitigation that would make the difference. Atiku and his handlers will definitely strategise to take advantage of either. Research and strategy is key.

“In the event of Muslim- Muslim ticket, we wish and should work towards re-enacting June 12, 1993 scenario. But let us be clear in our minds that circumstances are not the same. For one, Asiwaju is up against a formidable candidate unlike the 1993 scenario, where a titan (MKO) was up against an unknown Bashir Tofa.

We shouldn’t just wish a repeat of 1993, we should meticulously deploy effective research and strategy to make it happen.” Another source said: “The issue of whether the running mate is a Christian or Muslim is not key to the people of South-West. But it is important to the electorate in the North-West and North -East. The electorate in the South-East will prefer a Christian running mate.

But from past experiences, their voting pattern will definitely not be in favour of APC and our candidate. ‘”In any case, the South East region may vote massively for Peter Obi and his Labour Party. South-South is predominantly a PDP region. Whether APC fields a Muslim or Christian running mate may not be their headache.

“What is paramount from that axis is for Amaechi and his people to close ranks. Edo and Delta will not worry themselves whether the running mate is a Muslim or not. “So, for political exigencies, I will suggest that the running mate to our candidate should be a Muslim.

We need good votes from both the North-West and North -East. “Over the years, the youths were alienated from governance. Not only that. Most of the youth don’t see any hope or future in the country.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of negative publicity against our candidate, especially on the social media. The only saving grace is that Peter Obi and his Labour Party have distracted those youths away.

“If those army of youths have teamed up with PDP in order to ‘teach APC a lesson’ there is no way the party would have survived it. It would have just been a reverse case of the 2015 episode.

“But be that as it may, there is a need for engagement with our candidate. It will be good in his campaign if he has a feedback mechanism where those of us who are his “unknown” supporters” can directly communicate with him.”