Breaking: Shocker As Tinubu Picks Masari As Running Mate

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has beaten the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for political parties in the country to submit names of running mates to their Presidential candidates.

His party, the APC on Thursday submitted the name of Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim Masari from Katsina state less than 12 hours to the midnight deadline set by INEC.

Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP had on Thursday, chosen Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate against earlier prediction that he would pick Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.

Wike lost to Atiku in a keenly contested primary election that took place three weeks ago.

Masari is expected to be the APC Vice Presidential nominee temporarily, a stop gap, until the Party concludes ongoing consultations on who the substantive nominee will be.

The nominee is believed to be a brother to Governor Bello Masari of Katsina State.

The political greenhorn is expected to step down as soon as the party picks the real candidate, which will be immediately forwarded to INEC, before the end of the week, sources in the party said on Friday.

It was learnt on Thursday that the party has been unable to arrive at a particular candidate, as it has not decided whether the candidate would be a muslim or Christian from the North east or North west based on the party’s current agreement that the candidate must come from either of the regions.

Tinubu had hinted on Wednesday that the nominee will be a Christian from North east.
His assertion, sources in the party insist, flies against the preponderance opinion in the party that it must present a Muslim-muslim joint ticket.

“More consultation is required as the party is polarised, and all that matters now is how choose a team which can win next year’s election,” an APC chieftain said on Thursday.

INEC disclosed today that it will not extend deadline for parties to submit names of their presidential candidates and running mates.

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told The Punch that it’s untrue report that the deadline has been extended. He insisted that the Commission had not changed the deadline.

“We have to wait till 6pm, Friday 17th June (the deadline), to have the accurate figure. There will be no extension,” Oyekanmi said.