Muhammadu Buhari Chooses Professor Yemi Osinbajo As Running Mate

The All Progressives Congress is set to name a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as the running mate of the APC presidential candidate, Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.).

Competent sources in the party told our correspondents on Wednesday that Osinbajo, who served as justice commissioner during the tenure of former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would be named as the vice presidential candidate of the APC.

Osinbajo, a professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is also an in-law to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, having married a grand daughter of the former Premier of the Western region.

The choice of who emerges as Buhari’s running mate has generated intense debate and interest since the emergence of the former Head of State as the APC’s flag bearer last Friday.

Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola; the immediate former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi ; Senator Chris Ngige and former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, had previously been tipped as likely candidate for the vice presidential slot.

But one of the governors in the South-West told one of our correspondents on Wednesday, “Osinbajo will be named as the vice presidential candidate today.”

The party told reporters on Wednesday at the APC’s headquarters in Abuja that the formal announcement of Buhari’s running mate would be made by 2pm today (Wednesday) before the event was shifted to 4pm.

It was also learnt that Amaechi would be named the Director General of the APC presidential campaign while veteran journalist and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Dele Alake, would be named to lead the media relations of the party.