FACT CHECK: Has Tinubu Picked Gov. Zulum As Running Mate?

• There has been reports that Tinubu has picked Gov. Zulum as running mate. The below is the true reports. 

THE NATION REPORTERS reports that a report making the rounds on social media claims that the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, has emerged the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

The post is accompanied by an image showing the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, raising a fisted hand of Zulum.

Verification

Background checks revealed that several groups such as the APC youth stakeholders’ forum in Bauchi State, the All Progressives Congress Stakeholders Forum, and the Southeast Destiny Movement for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (SDMBAT) have called for the selection of Zulum as the running mate to Tinubu. However, Tinubu has not picked the Borno State governor as of the time of filing this report.

Also, APC stakeholders from the North West have maintained that Bola Tinubu should choose his running mate from the zone.

A meeting, which held in Abuja attended by the party’s governors, gubernatorial candidates and ministers, was aimed at prevailing on Tinubu to cede the vice presidency slot to the zone, with the promise that they would ensure the victory of the ruling party in next year’s elections.

At the end of the meeting, APC’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Dr Salihu Lukman, issued a statement which reads in parts: “The meeting noted the contribution of the North West to the emergence and growth of the APC and its electoral viability, with the region providing about 39 per cent of the votes the APC recorded in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

“Therefore, the zone resolved to aggregate its interests and vital concerns and engage accordingly with the presidential candidate of the party.”

A few days ago, Tinubu himself had noted during a presentation of the book, “Mr Speaker”, and unveiling of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative to mark the 60th birthday of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in Abuja, that he was still searching for a running mate.

While admiring the cordial working relationship between Hon. Gbajabiamila and his deputy, Tinubu said, “I could see his deputy (Wase) sitting down there too. You are a very good symbol 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.”

Conclusion

Though APC former welfare secretary, Kabiru Masari, was nominated as Tinubu’s running mate, it is believed he was nominated as a ‘placeholder’ to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for the party to submit the names of its candidates.

Tinubu is still in search of a running mate and has not picked Zulum as claimed. Hence, the claim is false.

This fact check was done in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Daily Trust reports.