Osibanjo may emerge Buhari’s running mate today

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Speculations are high that Professor Yemi Osibanjo may today emerge as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari, today.

Osibanjo, who hails from the South West is a professor of Law and was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State under former Governor Bola Tinubu.

Buhari was said to have struck a deal with APC chieftains to pick his running mate from the South West ever before going into a merger with ACN.

 Buhari is also being expected to get block votes from the South West going by the deal if he goes by the choice of running mate from the zone.

The APC, which gave an assurance on Sunday that its presidential running mate will emerge through a democratic process, has been drawn headlong in crucial meetings to pick a candidate from the contenders.

Chieftains of the party from the Southwest  zone had on Sunday night locked themselves in a strategy meeting over the choice of a vice presidential candidate for their party.

In attendance at the meeting held at an undisclosed location in Lagos, were a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu; the immediate-past National Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande; the immediate-past Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the National Convention Committee of the party, Kayode Fayemi, state governors of the party from the zone and some other stakeholders.

The governors in attendance included Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).

Others were Segun Oni (Deputy National Chairman, South), Pius Akinyelure (Vice Chairman, South West), Tajudeen Olawutan Bello (National Financial Secretary), Lai Mohammed (National Publicity Secretary), and Muiz Banire (National Legal Adviser).

The Lagos meeting seems to have been inconclusive as it was shifted to Abuja on Monday.

As at press time yesterday, the Abuja meeting was still ongoing.