Tinubu: I’m still searching for my running mate

President-Elect Bola Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said he was still searching for his running mate for the 2023 general election.

Tinubu made this known while speaking in Abuja on Sunday at the presentation of a book title, ‘Mr Speaker: The Legislative Life, Service and Resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila’ and the unveiling of a Legislative Mentorship Initiative in commemoration of the 60th birthday of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The Star had reported that the APC submitted the name of a chieftain of the ruling party in Katsina State, Ibrahim Masari, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s surrogate running mate.

Masari is a serving board member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State.

However, Tinubu, on Sunday, said he was still studying how Gbajabiamila and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Ahmed Wase, had been working in his search for the APC’s vice presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.

“I could see a Deputy (Wase) sitting down there too, you are very good symbols of unity, dependability, and honesty, thank you. Thank you for both of you, you’ve not rocked the boat.

“I will need to learn from both of you, how you made the pair work because I’m still searching for my running mate.

“What you did during my primary (APC presidential election) is a story for another day. I’ve spent more time, too many times and people might be bored, they might be envious too, they might be jealous. I won a landslide, I thank you.

“Femi, with your determination, and reach, you are a contributor to our democratic growth, thank you.

“It is about charting a path to success, you’ve done a good job and I say thank you, thank you,” the APC National Leader said.

Also present at the event were President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; former Ogun State Governor and Chairman on the Occasion, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi; Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Atiku Badugu; among others.

The Star