2015 presidential ticket: APC govs insist on VP slot

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress governors may produce the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2015 election.

Saturday PUNCH’s investigations on Thursday in Abuja showed that the governors were demanding that one of them should be given the party’s vice-presidential slot.

It was reliably gathered that their demand was premised on the indication that a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) or ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar might get the presidential ticket.

It was learnt that the governors were insisting on having one of them as vice- president, if they lost out in the quest to fly the party’s presidential flag.

The governors seeking the party’s presidential ticket are Rochas Okorocha (Imo State) and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano State) though Okorocha has not formally declared his intention to contest the Presidential ticket.

The Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, is also seeking the APC presidential ticket.

It was gathered that the outcome of the presidential primary would determine the zoning of other elective offices.

At the outset of the merging of the legacy parties (the Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change), it was learnt that there was a tentative agreement that the North should produce the President, while the vice-president should come from the South-West.

Investigations, however, showed that the demand of the governors might lead to the adjustment of the party’s tentative agreement on zoning.

Currently, none of the party’s governors in the South-West is a Christian and with the nationwide resentment against Muslim-Muslim ticket, the APC is not ready to field a presidential candidate and a running mate of the same faith.

It was learnt that the party was currently exploring the possibility of picking the vice-presidential candidate from the South-East or the South-South.

The APC governors in the two zones include Okorocha, Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers State).

A top official of the party, who confided in Saturday PUNCH, said, “We have not concluded discussions on the presidential ticket.

“All I can tell you for now is that either Buhari or Atiku may get the ticket. The governors are also demanding that an incumbent governor from the South should be picked as the vice-presidential candidate.