Speculations are rife that the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has settled for Senator Kashim Shettima as running mate in the February 25, 2023 election.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reported on Sunday that the former Lagos State governor is at present on his way to Daura to brief President Muhammadu Buhari of his choice.
According to NAN, a highly-competent source in the Tinubu Campaign Organisation who requested anonymity revealed that Tinubu would make the name of the candidate public this week.
“The vice-presidential nominee may most likely be a former governor and senator from the Northeast part of Nigeria,” the source said.
“The person is also by accident of birth a Muslim, confirming what Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said on Saturday that Tinubu had settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
The source added that in picking the running mate, Tinubu was not thinking about religion but about the competence, exposure and intellectual depth of the candidate.
“The considerations given for the choice of a running mate were dictated by the need to choose an individual capable of working with the presidential candidate to take Nigeria to greater heights,’’ the source added.
According to NAN, Tinubu is scheduled to pay Sallah homage to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina, on Sunday to brief him on his chosen running mate.
The former two-term Lagos state governor won party’s ticket at the June 8 special national convention and presidential primary election.
He earlier chose Ibrahim Kabiru Masari as a placeholder for the vice-presidential slot.
Shettima was a two-term governor of Borno State and at present a Senator.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed July 15, 2022, as the last day for presidential and national assembly candidates to withdraw from the race in line with Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022.
