The All Progressives Congress, Ghana Chapter, has urged the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to pick a female as his running mate.
The Chairman of APC Ghana, Mr Oghenosa Micheletti, who made the appeal in a statement on Friday, recalled that Tinubu, who fielded a female running mate, Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele ((1999-2003), helped him run a successful government.
Micheletti noted that Tinubu’s choice of a female as deputy led to the emergence of many women as deputy governors in Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that apart from Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, who was deputy to former Lagos State Governor, Michael Otedola, from 1992 to 1993, the state has enjoyed having female deputy governors through Tinubu’s support.
They include Sarah Sosan (2007-2011) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (2011-2015) and Dr Oluranti Adebule (2015-2019).
NAN also reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission had given the presidential and governorship candidates of the 18 registered political parties eight days to pick and submit the lists of their running mates
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the directive on Thursday in Abuja, at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Micheletti who is also the Treasurer of the APC Diaspora Chairmen Forum, congratulated Tinubu on his emergence as APC presidential candidate, adding that the former Lagos State governor’s candidature would usher in a Nigeria that everyone envisaged.
“What this also means is that when Tinubu wins, Nigeria will have its first female vice president that will go down in history.
“Tinubu’s candidature will ensure victory for APC in 2023 and ultimately, the consolidation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s legacies.
“With a female vice-presidential candidate, Tinubu will be the first presidential candidate of a ruling party to do so, and it will usher in the gender balance that some of us advocate for.
“Tinubu shall consolidate on infrastructure, confront decisively the insecurity challenges in the country, and address the economy, using a more magnifying Lagos State template for the nation.”
According to him, the APC, through its primaries, has again shown Nigerians that it remains a truly progressive party.
“The landslide victory of our Leader, Tinubu is an indication that our delegates made the right choice; his popularity and acceptance as the only formidable politician that can guarantee victory for our party in the general election is evident in the wide margin of results at the primaries.
“No doubt his track record as a true democrat and impactful leader through the years, is an undeniable factor in his triumph.”
The APC Ghana chairman also applauded the party’s national chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, for organising a free and fair primary election where the will of the people prevailed.
“We appreciate our president, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his exemplary leadership, particularly for not imposing any candidate on the party.
“We also congratulate all the aspirants for displaying great sportsmanship which has added value to our democratic system.
“It is now time to close ranks and unite the party for the tasks ahead. The party leadership must reach out to all aggrieved members especially the aspirants in the contest and their followers, because we are one family that can only win in 2023 with a united front,” Micheletti added.
He, therefore, pledged the support of members of the party in Ghana for the APC in the 2023 General Elections.
Tinubu won the APC presidential primary on Wednesday, beating 13 other aspirants to clinch the party’s ticket.