Northern groups endorse Lalong, El-Rufai as Tinubu’s running mate

Northern Youth Progressive of Nigeria (NYPN) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to consider Governor Simon Lalong as his running mate.

Addressing journalists in Birnin-Kebbi, yesterday, Secretary of NYPN, Abubakar Dahiru, called on the APC leadership and the presidential candidate to consider a Muslim-Christian ticket in picking a running mate.

He said the association’s position is towards uniting Nigerians.

Tinubu’s emergence as APC candidate, he said, has since left Nigerians in a dilemma as to who the vice presidential candidate should be, to make the ticket widely acceptable.

Dahiru described Lalong as an astute politician and unifier of the thoroughly divided people of the Plateau.

“He has, during his stay in Rayfield, brought back relative peace and harmony among the different peoples and ethnicities in the state as can be evidenced from the drastic reduction of internecine conflicts between the diverse sections of the state.”

ANOTHER group, Tinubu Support Organisation (TSO), after meeting with critical APC stakeholders in the North West, endorsed Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State for the same VP slot.

Addressing journalists in Kaduna, yesterday, after the meeting, the Director-General of TSO, Aminu Suleiman, described the choice of a running mate as a critical factor to the success of their candidate.

His words: “After due consultation with critical stakeholders, especially in the North West, it is of the fact that El-Rufai is Asiwaju’s best choice for vice president.”

According to him, TSO is working tirelessly for the election of Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria.

“We are glad that the APC has many outstanding individuals among its leaders. But having assessed all the options, it is the view of TSO that the APC’s candidate for VP should be chosen from the North West, the single largest voting bloc in Nigeria,” he added.