VP slot: Tinubu, APC northern govs in crucial meeting

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3 years ago

BARELY 24 hours after the presidential convention where former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard-bearer, governors from the north on the platform of the party met with him at his Asokoro residence in Abuja.

Governors sighted at the meeting included Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Sanni Bello (Niger), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe) and Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa).

The governors told newsmen at the end of the meeting that they came on a congratulatory visit. Sources, however, revealed that the meeting was connected to the choice of a running mate to the APC presidential candidate.

Investigation revealed that the governors took off from the Katsina Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, to meet with Tinubu.

The source, however, told Nigerian Tribune that he was not privy to the outcome of the closed-door session.

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Speculation was rife that the governors secured a commitment from Tinubu on the eve of the election that a Muslim among them would be picked as running mate.

Tinubu media campaign office had since dismissed such a deal as mere rumour.

The choice of running mate, according to investigation, has been an uphill task in the camp of both Tinubu, candidate of the APC and his main rival in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 18 political parties have up to June 17 to submit the names of their nominated candidates to the electoral umpire.

The national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who also paid a solidarity visit to Tinubu, left the residence shortly after the arrival of the northern governors.

Speaking with journalists, the former Nasarawa State governor, who led other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the visit, said the aspiration of Tinubu has become the APC project, having emerged as candidate.

He said: “For us, action speaks louder than voice. We are here to join our brother, congratulate him and assure him that we are together.

“This is our project and, by God’s grace, we will succeed.”