Exclusive update-Tinubu Becomes Buhari's VP

Update-Mega Mode Media just exclusively learnt Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been chosen as the vice presidential candidate of All Progressives' Congress, 3.00 p.m. December 14, 2014.

After the euphoric victory of General Muhammadu Buhari at the All Progressives' Congress (APC) presidential primary, December 10, lessened, attention naturally shifted to the likely candidates for the vice presidency slot to vie with him for the 2015 presidential race.

Buhari: at the primary

Many names are already being touted as the likely candidate including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, APC leader; Babatunde Fashola; Lagos governor; Adams Oshiomhole, Edo governor and Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers governor.

Of all the candidates, Amaechi's suddenly started ringing insistently overnight as the chosen candidate following the publication of an online report claiming he has been chosen as the VP candidate.

Mega Mode Media reliably learnt that this is totally untrue. A source within the party leadership told Mega Mode Media that the Rivers' governor is not under consideration because the party structure has decided to zone its VP position to the South West.

late Yar'Adua: decisive factor in north's agitation for power

This may prove surprising to many political observers who initially thought the position would be the exclusive preserve of the South South where Amaechi and Oshiomhole hails from, or to the South East which produced Rochas Okorocha. Abia governor and also a presidential aspirant during the primaries.

In fully grasping the concept of Nigerian politics in Nigeria, it must be noted that this is a terrain governed exclusively by regional and in some cases, religion considerations. Any other system may be pertinent to other advanced democracies of the world but in this emerging democracy in this part of the globe, positions and eventual emergence of candidates are the workable panacea for navigating the Nigerian terrain. It is hinged primarily on the six geopolitical zones of North West, North East, North Central, South West, South East and South South. This process is rooted in Independent Nigerian political mathematics when Nnamdi Azikwe, an Igbo Christian from Nigeria's South was the President to Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa in the country's only ever parliamentary cabinet in 1960. From then onwards, it has been a formulae desired by the ruled and the rulers alike in satisfying the yearnings of the different political groups in the complex intrigues in the country of over 250 ethnic nationalities and over 150 million people in Africa's largest democracy. It always rotate on the premise of shifting top power cabinet positions among the six zones sequentially. So, after eight years comprising two terms of four years each for President Olusegun Obasanjo, it was the north's turn to produce a president which emerged in the guise of late President Umaru Yar'Adua. His unfortunate demise after three years in office led to the emergence of the "doctrine of necessity". This  doctrine led to the brief suspension of the rotational power shift which hitherto would have necessitated that another northerner emerge to finish that  tenure and another term to complete the north's turn in office before the baton is passed to the next geopolitical region.

But. the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan emerged supposedly under the gentleman's agreement that he would not contest the 2015 election. The veracity of this claim could not be verified since the President consistently denies this undertaking. Nevertheless, the north has been grievously embittered by this development which gives chance to Jonathan from the South South to occupy Aso Rock.

Under this political calculation, zoning the number two position to the South South is hardly expedient following Jonathan's occupation of the Presidency.

Tacitly appeasing the north and tactically garnering votes which Jonathan might lose in the entire northern region to APC if it fields a northerner against Jonathan are contributive factors to Buhari's success at the presidential primary. Buhari is a prince from Daura, the ultra elite birthplace of the Fulani tribe in northern Nigeria. If Buhari wins the election, it would be indicative of taking off from where Yar'Adua left off; the late president was also Fulani.

Zoning it to the South East is unfathomable at this point. Apart from the inability of the region to produce a consensus candidate for the position, Ndi Igbo is not favourably disposed to playing second fiddle after Azikwe and Alex Ekwueme. vice president to Shehu Shagari from 1979 to 1983, previously occupied the position. The position chiefly has no oversight functions but acts under the direction and discretion of the President. The South West tasted the number one position under the military rulership of Lt. GeneralAguiyi Ironsi, the country's first military dictator. The region's general mood at this time, is to get elected to that office again and not, be the second citizen once more.

Atiku: another keen aspirant

Much has been written about the dearth of South West candidates in Nigerian top political offices. The presidency, vice presidency, senate presidency, House of Representatives' Speaker including other top cabinet positions are occupied by people who are not Yoruba. The region had earlier expressed its disenchantment with this development at various fora or appeals with President Jonathan but nothing changed. It would be recalled that Mulikat Adeola-Akande, a Yoruba, was initially billed to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives under President Jonathan in 2011. But, in a curious twist, Aminu Tambuwal, the currently embattled Speaker, emerged as the helmsman for the position. Senate presidency went to the North Central while the current Vice President is also a northener. So, the position was narrowed to the South West partially on this reasoning.

The other factor why the zone will produce the Vice President is because only the geopolitical zone overwhelmingly voted 100 percent for Buhari  during the primary with its block votes.

According to Premium Times, officials believe that while the South East and South South regions supported Buhari by voting for him, significant portions of those votes were also shared with other candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

“The South West gave General 100 per cent of their votes and so it is only fair that they get to produce the vice president,” the source, who declined to be named because the issue is not yet official, said.

Tinubu: APC leader

The official also said a “victory” dinner was held at the resident of one of the national leaders of the party, Bola Tinubu, in Ikoyi after the election on Thursday and the matter was discussed briefly.

“Another round of meeting was held today, there will be another one tomorrow here in Lagos, but I believe probably the last meeting will be held in Abuja on Monday after which whoever is selected will be made known,” he said.

The parties have till December 18 to submit names of their candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

At the December 10 primary, Buhari got 3,430, to beat the other candidates, who also included Leadership newspaper's publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar got 954 votes, Musa Kwankwaso, Kano ggovernor garnered 974, Okorocha: 624 and Nda Isaiah: 10 votes.Among the major contenders to the vice presidential ticket are Yemi Osibanjo, a professor of Law, who was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos state under Governor Tinubu and the immediate past governor of Ekiti state and chair of the APC National Convention Planning Committee of the primary, Kayode Fayemi.