2023: El-Rufai Angry With Tinubu Over VP Snub

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai is not pleased with the decision of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, to pick former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

Sources that spoke with Daily Independent disclosed that the party leadership are trying to seal the grievances so that they won’t be exposed like the issues of the Peoples Democratic Party.

There are claims that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is against the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar for picking the governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

In the case of the APC, it is understood that El-Rufai was chosen as the potential running mate from the North-West, while Shettima was selected from the Northeast.

Tinubu, however, settled for Shettima against the desire of El-Rufai to emerge as APC vice presidential candidate.

It was gathered that Tinubu announced Shettima as his running mate without consulting governors elected on the platform of the ruling party.

Despite the grievances of the governors, they turned up for the rally of the party in Osun last week.

The source said, “The same situation in PDP is currently playing out in the APC. Governor El-Rufai is very embittered about the decision held by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Emissaries have been sent to him but he rebuffed them.

“He turned up for the governorship campaign in Osun last week because he has no issues with his colleague, Oyetola.

“But definitely, he is angry with Tinubu.

“El-Rufai also enjoyed the sympathy of some APC governors, especially those in the North as they have always insisted that for supporting Tinubu in the primary, he must pick one of them as his running mate.

“Announcing Shettima, a former governor, as his choice without consulting with the governors was seen as an affront by the APC governors who are major stakeholders in the party.”