APC Intensifies Search for Tinubu’s Running Mate

With July 15, 2022 deadline for parties to substitute candidates, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued its search for a suitable running mate for its presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu. Adedayo Akinwale reports

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Friday shut the window against political parties to submit the names of their presidential candidates and their running mates ahead of the 2023 elections after the June 17 deadline lapsed.

Whereas section 29(1) of the 2022 Electoral Act, as amended, provides that political parties shall submit names of their candidates, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for the general election, Section 31 of the Act also gives the political parties an opportunity to withdraw and substitute their candidates, not later than 90 days before the election

Section 31 states that “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writing signed by the candidate to the political party that nominated him for such election and the political party shall covey such withdrawal to the Commission not later than 90 days to the election”.

The Commission had as part of its administrative arrangements given up till 6pm of Friday June 17th, 2022, as deadline for the submission of names of candidates for the Presidential and National Assembly election and 15th July, 2022, for the Governors and State Assembly candidates.

In fulfillment of Section 31, of the Act, the Commission, gave the July 15, 2022 as last day for withdrawal by candidates and replacement of withdrawn candidates by the political parties.

Ordinarily, one would have thought a clearer picture of a running mate especially for the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu would have become clearer by now, but the search for suitable and acceptable running mate continues.

Ever since the emergence of the former Governor of Lagos state as the presidential candidate of the APC in the 2023 elections, there have been strong opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket being mulled by the party in order to boost its chances in the coming elections.

The reason why APC is thinkering with a Muslim-Muslim ticket is not far fetched considering the fact that North-West and North-East geopolitical zones have the bloc votes and if the party could not find a stronger Christian from the two sub-regions, it might settle for a Muslim.

While consultation was still ongoing on the issue of acceptable running mate with much needed clout to help APC retain power beyond 2023, the idea of picking Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, or former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara who are northern Christians might be off the table due to their limited clout in the North.

While some stakeholders of the party believed that winning an election should not be premised on sentiment as democracy is a game of number, others were of the views that the country’s fault lines should not be widened with the purported Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Against this background, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has warned the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to undermine the Christian community with the Muslim-Muslim ticket, insisting that such will not fly.

A former Secretary the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, also shared the sentiment expressed by the Christian body when he vehemently kicked against the idea, saying ethno-religious factors are still very much relevant in Nigerian politics; while a group within the party, APC stakeholders also urged the party to narrow its search for the Vice Presidential candidate of the party to a Northern Christian to ensure national inclusion, and help manage the country’s differences and promote national unity.

But the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, said the issue of religion should not be a criterion in determining the running mate of the APC’s presidential candidate.

In the same vein, the National Vice Chairman of the party, Dr. Salihu Lukman, said as important as ethnic and religious identities are, addressing challenges facing the country require that political leaders are not allowed to ride on cheap sentiments of religion and ethnicity to opportunistically win elections

Lukman insisted that If Nigeria was to move forward, 2023 Presidential campaigns must not reduce important debates of moving Nigeria forward to sentimental considerations of ethnicity and religion.

He said, “If the truth is to be told, both Islam and Christianity, as well as all our ethnic factors have been used in equal measure to hold Nigeria at a standstill. Many so-called religious and ethnic leaders have used and are still using religion and ethnicity to pollute the minds of Nigerians against one another. If Nigerian politics is to overcome the adversities of these so-called religious and ethnic leaders, religious and ethnic backgrounds of leaders must be subordinated to experiential attributes of persons being considered for leadership.

“Perhaps, it is important to stress the point that whatever is the final choice of Asiwaju Tinubu and APC leaders with respect to who emerges as the running mate, the 2023 Presidential election will be keenly contested, irrespective of religious and ethnic identity of both Asiwaju Tinubu and whoever the running mate may be.”

Nevertheless, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, said at this point in time, Muslim-Muslim ticket doesn’t count, but the personality involved. To him, those against Muslim-Muslim ticket should stop sitting on the fence and participate fully in politics, rather than telling political parties what to and the choice to make.

Nabena noted, “This is a repeat of what happened between Abiola and Tofa. Tofa at the other side (north), Abiola on the side (South) and the same Muslim-Muslim ticket in quote. Those people crying that there should not be Muslim-Muslim ticket should try as much as possible to participate more. They cannot sit down in their houses and tell people from their own party what to do. If they want Christian-Christian ticket, they should allow the whole Christian to participate, they can sit on the fence and tell political parties what to do.”

Moreso, a chieftain of the party and Deputy Organising Secretary, Hon. Nze Duru said Tinubu is at liberty to pick a running mate that will complement his strength.

According to him, It is the sole prerogative of the candidate to choose and determine who his number two would be. The number two will be such a person that will complement his strength. And then will also help him in administering the government come 2023 when the party wins the election.

Meanwhile, in order to meet last Friday’s deadline for the submission of presidential candidates and their running mates, Tinubu submitted the name of Kabir Ibrahim Masari. Masari is of the Malumfashi/Kafur Constituency in Katsina State, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.

From all indications, the choice of running mate was yet to be resolved hence the decision to include a “place holder” as vice-presidential candidate, while Tinubu and the APC were still making consultations for a suitable deputy that would enhance the party’s victory in 2023.

“The name of the running mate submitted would be changed for another northern politician in the next few weeks. The one submitted is just holding the ticket in trust for another candidate to be picked by Tinubu and the party in the next few weeks. The candidate is still widely consulting, because the issues around the choice of running mate are many and he is yet to address them all. So, he is still asking for more time to look into it all – whether he is running a Muslim-Muslim or a Muslim-Christian ticket,”

“He personally thinks there’s a need for more consultation and that’s what he is doing. The debate on the choice of deputy has assumed a level that is currently greater than the party and the candidate, hence the need for comprehensive consultation, which is what he is doing,” a reliable source said.

Another reliable source in Tinubu’s camp told THISDAY that Masari works with the support group and can’t be the choice for the position.

He said, “Masari is one of us in the office but can’t be the Vice President. It is also possible that his name was submitted to fill in, but can’t confirm that yet until they resolve who they want to give it to.”

Unlike the past elections, the 2023 elections will be more of a regional votes. Each presidential political gladiators will hold on tight to their respective regions.

This time around, there may not be a repetition of what happened in the 2019 elections where APC had bloc votes from North-West. 2023 promises to be a different ball game.

As it stands, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) who has the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as its candidate will lock down Kano, part of Kaduna and possibly Jigawa state votes – both in North-west during election; while the former Governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi who is the candidate of Labour Party will sweep the South-east votes, Tinubu has South-west to lose, while the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will hold on tight to South-south and part of North-east. Basically, the battle ground now remains North-Central.

To this end, political observers believed that there is need for the ruling party to replace North-west with North-east, the second region with bulk votes. To do that, a northern Muslim from the North-east is the party’s best bet. They added that if APC wants to ride with religion sentiment, the party should pick a northern christian from the North-east, but if the party wants to retain power beyond 2023, a northern Muslim from the North-east is key.

The APC has a critical decision to make in the next few days on the issue of who the running mate would be. The decision, therefore, will either make or mar the party’s chances in the 2023 elections.