The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are expected to reconvene on Friday afternoon for another meeting that would see them select a running mate for its presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. This is as the party leadership in the wee hours of this morning asked the second runner up in the yesterday’s primary and Governor of Kano state, Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso to proceed to the Senate on its platform.
Those widely speculated to be considered for the running mate ticket includes Governors Rotimi Amaechi, Tunde Fashola, Adams Oshiomhole of Rivers, Lagos and Edo states respectively. Also being taunted for the position is the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and a one-time Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Prof Yemi Oshibajo.
It was gathered that so many political calculations are at play as to who becomes the running mate following the party’s strong resolve to oust the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan at next February’s presidential election. Shot callers in the party are highly in favour of the particular tag-team which can inflict maximum damage to the deteriorating electoral fortunes of the PDP and Jonathan in the presidential election.
The opposition party has zeroed the search to the South West and the South South which is what informed the considerations of Fashola, Fayemi and Oshibajo (South West) and Oshiomhole and Amaechi (South-South). But religious consideration seems to have ruled out Fashola.
Just before the meeting ended at the dead of the night, leaders of the party asked Kwankwaso to take over the senate ticket from the senatorial candidate of his district in Kano while the Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha was asked to return to his job as the governor.
DAILY POST learnt that an in-law of Rochas, who had earlier won the party’s governorship ticket in Imo State, voluntarily gave up the ticket right before the end of yesterday’s primary when he saw that Buhari would carry the day.
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