There is a fresh twist in the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the choice of its Vice Presidential candidate as a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Kingibe-led team has reportedly recommended three names for consideration for the slot.
Reports emerged early Wednesday that Ambassador Kingibe, a one time National chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party(SDP),who was the running mate to late MKO Abiola in the June 12, 1993 presidential election, was said to have forwarded the names to the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, for onward transmission to the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for consideration.
In the list, Kingibe was reported to have pencilled Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed and a presidential liaison officer to the National Assembly during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first tenure, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, for consideration for the position of running mate for Tinubu.
Before now, it was reported in the media that some high-level stakeholders in the APC had zoned the position of the Vice-Presidential candidate to the North East geo-political zone.
Earlier on, according to the reports, a former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima; Governor Zulum and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha all from Northeast geo-political zone and the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong (North-Central geo-political zone) were being considered for the position.
However, on Wednesday fresh reports indicate that a team headed by Ambassador Kingibe, who once served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and he is believed to a very influential political figure in the current dispensation, has reportedly forwarded three names for consideration for the Vice presidential slot.
However, a source close to the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu said they were weighing on the options at this stage with just a few days to the Friday deadline given by INEC to Presidential candidates to submit names of their running mates.
“It is true that three names have been forwarded by a committee headed by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe to Governor Atiku Bagudu for onward delivery to Asiwaju Tinubu for consideration for the office of the vice president,” the source was quoted to have said.
Another source who spoke with the Press on the matter said they were still studying the list submitted to the APC presidential candidate.
While it remains unclear if Tinubu and the APC would choose from the Kingibe-led Committee’s list, the trio are Muslims and are from the North East geopolitical zone.
This is coming amidst reports that the APC may likely field a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 presidential election, a development that has become a subject of concern among some Nigerians, according to political analysts.
