APC VP Slot: Buhari Taps Osibajo, Targets Redeemed Church

Subject to any last minute changes, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari may have ignored the high-wire politics that have dogged the choice of his running mate by settling for former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Professor Yemi Osibajo, whose name will be announced today as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

All political parties have till the end of today to submit the name of candidates vying for various political offices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Osibajo emerged from an expanded list of Christian vice-presidential hopefuls from the South after a meeting of the leadership of the party last night in Abuja.

According to a party source, who was privy to the meeting, Osibajo was selected because he is a pastor of the Redeemed Church, whose Christian congregants Buhari and the APC are targeting in the 2015 presidential election.

Buhari and the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun were yesterday handed the task of choosing a running mate for the party from the array of candidates jostling for the office following the inability of one of the party’s leaders, Bola Tinubu to pick a running mate from the South-west zone.

Speaking to expectant journalists, who had laid siege on the national secretariat of the party yesterday, Oyegun said the running mate to its presidential candidate will be unveiled today before the close of INEC's deadline.

Oyegun, who spoke after a long meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), said the party’s leadership had after due consultations mandated Buhari to announce his running mate.

Responding to concerns over the delay in announcing the party’s vice presidential candidate, Oyegun said the delay was not intentional but that Buhari has been asked to make his choice of running mate public by tomorrow.

“It is not delaying. The candidate will speak with you people. I have a feeling that he will speak with you tomorrow. The party has consulted with the candidate and has reached an agreement and he will address you on it today,” he said.

He added that the party had consulted widely on the issue and agreed on a candidate whose name will be announced by the presidential candidate today.

Source: Thisday