Ahead of formal announcement of substantive vice presidential of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has declared that it will prioritise competence ahead of religion or tribe.
The party had submitted a place holder’s name temporarily as a running mate to its presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
But speaking with newsmen Sunday in Abuja, APC’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hon. Nze Chidi Duru, said the party will nominate a very competent and capable person that will complement the strength and weakness of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate.
According to Duru, APC has not taken a decision that it must come from a particular religion or tribe.
“On Muslim-Muslim joint ticket, I think we must not bicker about denomination of who eventually emerges as our vice president. What is clear is that the party will nominate a very competent and capable person that will complement the strength and weakness of our candidate.
“As it is today, what we have is a Muslim-Muslim joint ticket. Religion is no longer an issue for the party. I have said that we are looking for a capable and competent nationalist to complement our candidate.
“It may be that we are going to reap the benefit of 1993 where people will no longer talk about religion and tribe but those that will do well for us and lift the country and provide the required leadership that Nigeria deserves.
“All I want to say is that he will come from the Northeast, Northwest or North Central. This is the stand of the party for now. We will not bathe in the realm of congestion of whether he is the rightful candidate. He is capable in his own right.”
When asked whether presidential candidate of Labour Party is a threat in 2023, Duru said: “Sowore is a threat, Atiku among other candidates are a threat to the APC. But what is important is that we are not complacent. APC understands that the party in power is a sitting duck waiting to be taken out.
“We also understand that what could change is for the opposition to take over power and the party in power becomes the opposition party. We will work hard on the basis. While other parties are struggling to resolve their crisis, APC has managed the various tendencies and it is, therefore, easy for us across the board to handle situations.”
Meanwhile, another APC chieftain and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, has, however said Bola Tinubu has a wide range of areas in the North to look for Christians.
Okechukwu said there are Christians in Sokoto, Kebbi, Borno and many other states in the North to choose running mate from.
The VON boss also declared that Tinubu will win the presidential election by 60 percent.
“The last I heard from our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that he is still searching and luckily, he has a wide variety of area to search from. From River Benue up to the last point in Jibia, Dutse, Lake Chad boundary. So, if you are the one searching in a wide vast area where we have over 100 people with about 44 million voters which might got up to 50 million you have a wide range of area to search.
“Luckily for us, alot of people will not know that even in Kebbi, Sokoto there are Christians. Even in Borno, there are Christians. He has a wide range of areas to look for Christians. So Asiwaju has 60% of winning this election. We are in charge of 22 states of the federation. We have the majority in National and State Houses of Assembly – they are not going to betray him.
“Even for us in the South/east that has never been our stronghold on the day of election we are going there to protect our mandate. Otherwise if I don’t defend it, did I get appointment before APC won presidential election.
“Whatever is my preference, if I want my office to remain it means I must support Asiwaju, it’s applicable to those who are board members whether you are coming from Yenogoa or Dutse so that is the power of incumbency.”
