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­Weeks after Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State governor emerged as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), intrigues and infightings within the party has stalled efforts to select his substantive running mate.

Tinubu had chosen a placeholder, Kabiru Masari, in order to beat the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, the choice of a substantive running mate has proved Herculean given mounting pressure by northern governors under the party platform to have him cede the position to one of them.

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Daily Sun learnt that though President Muhammadu Buhari had instructed the leadership of the party, led by its national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, to steer clear and allow Tinubu the free hand to select his running mate, the governors are unwilling to concede that right to the presidential flag bearer.

It was also learnt that Tinubu’s headache is further compounded by the growing opposition to his planned Muslim-Muslim ticket by Northern Christians and the leaderships of various churches in Nigeria. The APC presidential flag bearer, it was learnt, has however narrowed his option to the North East and North West.

Multiple sources familiar with the development, however, said Tinubu in recent weeks has been having a running battle with northern governors, believed to have worked for him during the presidential primary, who are insisting he must honour the gentleman agreement to pick one of them as running mate.

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A source said Tinubu was in a dilemma that the governors may work against him if he failed to honour the agreement reached with them ahead of the primary to pick one of them as his substantive running mate.

One of the sources who hails from the North East and who doesn’t want to be named because he’s not authorised to speak, said there is also the dilemma of choosing between the North West and North East which also explains why the party candidate is yet to name his vice.

He said beside the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, the other two APC governors from the North East, are unwilling to risk their second term tickets for the position.

“Tinubu has been given the free hands to pick a running mate. From what we’ve seen, he will possibly settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Many party leaders are against this option, including President Buhari. But since Buhari has also instructed that Tinubu should be allowed to pick his running mate, he has no choice, but to respect his choice. But governors from the North who are APC members, are not willing to give up that position. They’re insisting that a running mate should be produced by them.

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“If Tinubu must win in the North, he needs these governors. If he ignores them and picks someone outside their circle, there will be trouble. But the issues are beyond that. North West has six APC governors and the highest in the party. The geopolitical zone also has the highest number of registered voters. That gives them the bargaining power.

“So, they’re dictating and pushing that a governor from the geopolitical zone be picked. But North Central is equally important. But it appears that Tinubu isn’t unwilling to gamble with votes from the North West and that’s part of the reasons why the party has no substantive running mate right now,” he said.

Another source lamented that the leadership of APC that should have handled this critical assignment had been completely sidelined.

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“It can’t recommend or decide; it has become a toothless bulldog. I’m aware that Tinubu has given a deadline within which governors and other leaders from the North will recommend at least three names to him. Tinubu is then expected to pick from these names. Whether or not the governors will shift their selfish positions and carry others along, time will tell,” he said.

(Sun)