There are strong indications that as the race towards 2019 presidential race hots up, with changing political permutations, President Muhammadu Buhari’s political strategists are looking in the direction of South East for a Vice Presidential candidate on the platform of the All Progressive Peoples Congress(APC). Investigations by The New Diplomat reveal that the President’s strategists are not assured that the South West homogeneous votes which swayed the 2015 Presidential elections for Buhari would be there to easily depend upon given the reported frosty relations between the President and a National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who wield so much influence and standing in the entire South West politics. Tinubu is believed to be unhappy with developments in Ondo, where his preferred Gubernatorial aspirant, Mr Olusola Abraham lost to Mr Rotimi Akeredolu in a contest which Tinubu alleged was heavily masterminded and compromised by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. Also added to that is the similar treatment he allegedly faced in Kogi where Prince Abubakar Audu’s deputy, James Faleke was shoved aside for Governor Yahaya Bello for reasons that are largely unknown to many in the public domain.
The New Diplomat checks reveal that this development has thrown up a seeming race among political leaders of the APC in the South East with each struggling to catch the fancy and attention of the President should the VP slot be zoned to the South East. Among those being speculated as likely faces that could be tipped include Owelle Rochas Okoroacha, Governor of Imo State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State who recently decamped to APC, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology and first civilian Governor of Abia State. Onu is currently regarded as the APC arrow-head in the South East politics. He was National Chairman of the defunct ANPP that merged with CPC and ACN.
But sources hinted that the permutations still remain fluid subject to the ability of the likes of Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Minerals, Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works, Power and Housing , John Odigie-Oyegun, amongst others to effectively tame opposition to Buhari’s political interest in the South West and re-enact the Ondo victory in Ekiti state and other South West states where elections are up in that order. But for now, the South East is pushing very hard for the VP slot come 2019. Will Buhari turn to the South East? Only time will tell.
