Tinubu Considers Oshiomhole As Buhari’s Running Mate Ahead of Amaechi

Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari on Friday conceded the vice presidential slot of the All Progressives Congress to the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.

The decision by Buhari to concede the VP slot to Tinubu is apparently based on his contribution to his emergence as the party’s flagbearer in the just concluded national convention and presidential primary election.

According to credible source, Buhari asked Tinubu to either picks himself for the number two position or recommend anyone for the slot.

The snag however is that if Tinubu picks himself for the VP slot, he may face rejection from the party hierarchy who has made it clear that it would not field a Muslim/Muslim ticket.

If the rejection of a Muslim/Muslim ticket sees the light of day, Tinubu would have to pick someone from the Southern region who would run on the ticket with General Buhari.

Although, it is not clear what Tinubu’s decision would be, the APC national leader, maintains that the south-west has to produce the vice presidential candidate.

This effectively shuts out Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, a Christian from the South-south zone, who has never hidden his desire for the vice presidential slot of the APC. Amaechi has been a major financing and logistic supporter for Buhari and has been instrumental in the outward transformation of Buhari, from a light-blue agbada wearing, stodgy, elderly retired army general, to an urbane, bespoke suit-wearing, spritely man eager to keep up with the Joneses.

For Amaechi’s efforts, Buhari’s key advisers canvassed the vice-presidential slot for him. But with the decision by Buhari yesterday, Amaechi’s hopes seemed to have been dashed.

A source close to Tinubu said the Rivers State governor stood not even the slightest chance of being nominated by the former Lagos State governor as he is now torn between a South-west candidate and a South-south candidate.

The calculation is, were he to choose a South-south candidate, who in this case is Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman who is Chief John Odigie Oyegun also from Edo State, South-south will have to vacate office for a South-west candidate.

Many of the leaders of the party believe that should Tinubu concede the vice presidential slot to Oshiomhole,  he (Tinubu) would have to emerge as the national chairman so that he would be able to influence appointments in favour of the South-west.

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