2023: Northern Political Group Settles For Tinubu/Ganduje Ticket

By Adesina Soyooye

Left for a Northern Political Group, the Tinubu Political Network, TNP, the 2023 Presidential ticket for the All  Progressives Congress, APC, has been settled.

According to the Group, there is no better joint ticket than that of former Lagos State Governor and APC chieftain, Bola Tinubu, and the Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.

Why the two?

The TPN is flaunting what it says are the achievements of both men in office.

Speaking through its Coordinator, Muhammad Tajo Nagoda, the TPN emphasized how crucial it is to pick the right people in 2023 and, says it  could pick no better pair than0  Tinubu and Ganduje.

It noted Tinubu’s achievements while he was the two-time Governor of Lagos State and the achievements of Ganduje as the incumbent Governor of Kano State.

Given its confidence in the capacity of both men, TPN said it would do everything within its power to see to the emergence of the two men as the APC candidates.

But analysts point out that the combination is not likely to work, given that both men are Muslims. In 2015, even though then candidate, Major General Muhammadu  Buhari, had promised Tinubu the Vice Presidential  ticket, the promise fell through because both are Muslims. Many APC stakeholders spoke up against it, forcing the APC to go for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

One of those who spoke against a Buhari/Tinubu ticket was former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki. According to Saraki, Tinubu never forgave him for that.

The only time a Muslim/Muslim ticket worked was in the June 12, 1993 when the Social Democratic Party, SDP, ran with an MKO Abiola/Kingibe ticket. Even though the pair, presumably won, the election was canceled by the President Ibrahim Babangida Military regime. However, 1993 is not 2023. Nigerians are polarized along religious lines now.

Tinubu and Ganduje are close friends. Tinubu’s recent 69th birthday was hosted by Kano.

Both Kano and Lagos have the highest number of registered voters in the country.