APC chieftain: Competence, not religion, will determine Tinubu’s running mate

Farouk Aliyu, former minority leader of the house of representatives, says the search for the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not based on religion but on competence.

The APC chieftain spoke in a chat with Channels TV on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Bola Tinubu, former Lagos state governor, won the ticket to represent the party in the 2023 presidential election.

Following the victory, Kabiru Masari was named the “placeholder” for the position of the vice-presidential candidate until a final name is submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Many analysts had said the announcement of Tinubu’s running mate is delayed by religious complexities.

Reacting to those observations, Aliyu said the party and Tinubu are still “consulting”.

He said the candidate will be announced “soon” and “everybody will be convinced that we have made the right choice”.

“By the time the name is out, everybody will believe and be convinced that we have made the right choice. So just give us a little time we are going to come out with it soon,” the APC chieftain said.

“It’s not difficult for our candidate to pick a running mate but it is just about the complexities of the country. You understand people talk about Muslim-Muslim, Muslim-Christian and so on, forgetting the fact that no matter the diversity of this country, you need to also win an election before you can start doing things.

“We are consulting: looking at Muslim-Muslim ticket and Muslim-Christian also. But to us, as a party, it is not about religion or who you are but what the people will get.

“So if our party comes up with a Muslim-Muslim card, then so be it and we are going to make sure we win the election. And if the candidate goes for a Christian, we are going to make sure we win the election. Because it is not about religion but competence.”