Photo: Sen Binta Garba
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Sen Bola Tinubu may settle for former Adamawa North female Senator, Binta Garba ,as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Sources familiar with the new twist in Tinubu’s search for an acceptable running mate said that Garba’s choice is informed by the desire to avoid the backlash of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Tinubu is said to have beamed his searchlight for a Christian Nothern woman to be his running mate and the former senator is a Christian from the Northeast state of Adamawa, although she was born to Muslim parents.
Sen Garba was twice elected to the House of Representatives in the Northwest state of Kaduna between 1998 and 2007 before switching to Adamawa in the Northeast where she contested for House of Representatives again and won twice from 2007 to 2015.
She thereafter contested for the seat of Adamawa North Senator in 2015 and defeated the then incumbent Gov James Ngilari.
Prior to that, she was the chairperson of the Adamawa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where she successfully reconciled the warring factions within the party with dexterity, an effort which culminated in her victory in the senate election.
Sen Garba is said to be close to Tinubu’s wife, Sen Remi Tinubu, who is also a Christian and RCCG pastor. Both women served in the senate together from 2015 to 2019.
If Sen Garba is picked by Tinubu and they eventually win the election, she will become the first Nigerian female female Vice President.
Her choice may be a big twist in the running mate race for Tinubu’s APC presidential ticket which has been narrowed down to the Northeast.
Periscope International gathered that former Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb Babagana Kingibe was initially mandated to scout for three names of prospective running mates which list included Gov Zulum of Borno, UN Deputy Sec-Gen, Amina Mohammed and Kashim-Imam, who are all Kanuri Muslims.
Kingibe omitted prominent names from the Northeast who were thought to stand a chance, such as former Borno Gov Kashim Shettima, Adamawa Sen Ishaku Abbo, the , Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Boss Mustapha, former SGF Babachir David Lawan who are all Christians, apart from Shettima.
Tinubu is known for his being an advocate of women inclusion in politics , which he clearly demonstrated in Lagos with deliberate choice of female deputy governors and may be looking to replicate it at presidential level.
With INEC’s deadline for the submission of the names of candidates by parties drawing to a close, it is left to be seen who the APC presidential flag bearer will eventually settle for as his running mate within the next 48 hours.
