Buhari’s Running Mate: Odds Favour Osinbanjo

The long wait for who becomes the running mate of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, may have been narrowed down to former Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo, who is widely believed to be the man favoured by the powers that be in the South-West caucus of the party. To end the controversy trailing the APC vice presidential candidate slot, the APC leadership fixed a meeting for last night to endorse the candidate selected by the South-West zone. Nigerian Pilot learnt that three names: Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, alongside Osinbanjo were selected for the job for presentation to the APC leadership at its meeting last night. At the time of filing this report, the meeting had not started but party sources said the current structure of the APC where the South-South zone produces the party’s chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had dimmed the chances of the two governors for the office. Prof. Osinbanjo, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG served as attorney-general of Lagos State under Tinubu and is believed to be the one that the APC national leader has tipped for the job. Right from the formation of the party, the vice presidential ticket had been reserved for Tinubu. Insiders in the party said that Tinubu and Buhari had reached an understanding to run on a joint ticket, but given the uproar that greeted the Muslim-Muslim ticket suggestion, Tinubu opted for Osinbanjo to give Christians in the party a sense of belonging. With the promise of giving him the freedom to nominate a candidate of his choice for the vice presidential slot, Tinubu was said to have played a major role in swinging victory in Buhari’s favour in the just-concluded APC primaries where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was seen as a top contender came a distant third. Tinubu got 12 governors of the party to endorse Gen. Buhari before the primary election and made sure that whatever strategy Atiku brought to the convention ground was successfully countered. In order to honour the agreement he reached with Tinubu, Buhari conceded the right to nominate a running mate to the former governor. Tinubu’s successor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, Nigerian Pilot learnt, was initially tipped for the office but dropped because of the same faith factor with Buhari. The window was thereafter opened to Governors Amaechi and Oshiomhole, which was again shelved because the South-South had already produced the APC chairman. Amidst these permutations, Nigerian Pilot learnt that Tinubu had already made up his mind to stick with Osibanjo whom according to sources, he feels more secured with. Though the party leaders with their governors would still meet to ratify his choice, both Governor Amaechi and Oshiomhole are said to be grossly disadvantaged going by Tinubu’s estimation and those who insist that with the South-West must be given the running mate ticket to get its block votes at the presidential race. The proponents of the block votes’ mantra believe that taking the vice presidential ticket to the South-South may be of insignificant value as according to them, permutations have shown that the zone may stick with President Goodluck Jonathan who hails from the region. Another reason Osinbanjo is passionately considered for the of is because it is believed in several quarters that being a Christian clergyman may help to take away whatever suspicions the Christians have against Gen. Buhari who does not enjoy strong following outside of the Muslim North. nigerianpilot.com