President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The agenda was to discuss the choice of a running mate for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate.
The meeting was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Kebbi governor and chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu, led his colleagues into the meeting with Buhari.
Chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari; Governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai; and governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum were among those present at the meeting.
Last week, the Bola Tinubu campaign organisation admitted that APC governors are at liberty to pick a running mate for Tinubu.
Bayo Onanuga, the spokesman of the campaign organisation, said Tinubu’s running mate can come from any geo-political zone and religion.
“The party leaders will look at the chances and decide how they will balance a Muslim from the south, maybe with somebody that comes from north-east, north-central or from the north-west.
“That is how it is done. I cannot circumvent the party,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Bashir, a former media aide to President Buhari has asked the members of the opposition parties and other Nigerians questioning moves by the All Progressives Congress, APC to pick a Muslim vice presidential candidate to mind their businesses.
Reports emerged on Monday that the ruling party has settled for the former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate.
Christians in both South and Northern parts of the country have kicked against the move, asking the ruling party not to marginalize the Christian faithful.
Bashir, in a tweet on Tuesday, however, wondered why the development is triggering reactions from critics.
He wrote, “I just don’t understand why the process of choosing the Vice Presidential candidate of our party becomes a headache for members of the opposition parties?
“A Muslim-Muslim or a Christian-Christian ticket or whatever combination we come up with is only a business of ours, not yours”.
Also, The Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria popularly known as (TEKAN) whose churches are spread across the country has warned political parties against fielding Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian candidates ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
