THERE are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned its Vice Presidential slot to the South West while the Northern part of the country is to produce the presidential standardbearer of the party.
The national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu is also reported to have abandoned his rumoured vice presidency bid and is now said to be shopping for the right nomination to team up with whoever emerges as the party presidential candidate.
These were said to be the outcome of series of nocturnal political consultations which took place within and outside the country when the former Lagos state governor was on medical treatment in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Impeccable party source told the Nigerian Tribune that the unofficial decision to concede the vice presidency to the South West rather than the South East was because of the zone’s strength within the party while the north is naturally primed to produce the standardbearer.
Tinubu, since returning from the medical trip is reported to have commenced search for a suitable nominee for the vice presidency which many insiders believe was his prerogative since he would have emerged the running mate but for what the source called sensitive considerations.
The consultation was reported to center on alleged condition given the party leader that whoever is to be nominated from the South West should be a Christian as the party is said to be oppose to a Muslim muslim ticket.
Contrary to expectation that the Lagos State governor, Raji Fashola may pick the Vice Presidency, Nigerian Tribune was told that the religious consideration has knocked all four South West governors of the party out of considerations.
Tinubu and his inner circle are said to have subsequently crafted criteria to be used in making the nomination from the zone. Among the conditions are that the nominee must be a Christian grounded in the politics of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), that he or she must have served in senior governmental capacity like minister, governor or senator and that he must have national name appeal.
A party source in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that “Asiwaju is in charge as far as South West is concerned. He actually raised the idea with a senator second day after his return into the country. I cannot say however whether a name has been agreed on or not,” the source said.
