Okowa slams APC as not being ready for elections following its indecision over Tinubu's running mate

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has slammed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over its failure to pick a presidential running mate saying that it proves that their candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not a smart man.

 

Next year, Nigeria goes to the polls in what will be a major battle between the ruling APC and the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Last week, former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP's presidential candidate picked Governor Okowa as his running mate but the APC is yet to sort itself out.

 

Former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Tinubu, a Yoruba Muslim for the southwest geo-political zone has said he will pick a northern Christian as his running mate bit it appears that the process is proving more difficult than expected. To meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) deadline, Asiwaju Tinubu has picked Kabiru Masari as a placeholder just to fill the slot.

 

According to Governor Okowa, making Mr Masari a placeholder showed that APC was not organised and not ready for an election. He added that it also proves that the party and Asiwaju Tinubu were not smart.

 

Governor Okowa said: “You can find that the APC is finding it difficult to get who would be their vice presidential candidate. We are hearing something we have not heard before, somebody on placement to be replaced.

 

“They are actually not smart, that makes us believe they are not even ready for the election. There seems to be a lot of confusion in the APC, unlike us, as right from day one, we‘ve made our decision and I believe we‘re on the right path.”

 

According to the APC, Asiwaju  Tinubu is consulting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC leadership and other stakeholders over a final decision on the issue of his running mate. Among the northern Christians thought to be on Asiwaju Tinubu's shortlist include Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, former speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and secretary to the federal government Boss Mustapha.

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