There were strong indications at the weekend that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have decided to pair incumbent Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, with the party’s frontrunner in next month’s presidential primaries – General Muhammadu Buhari.

Top sources at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja told Sunday Independent that the members were encouraged to step up the game after the large turn out that graced Buhari’s declaration of Wednesday.

From the event and judging by the large turnout of who is who in the party, they reasoned, it was evident that most of the members were favourably disposed to the candidacy of Buhari.

At the event were four state governors: Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo; just as there were other prominent members of the party at Buhari’s declaration at Eagles Square on Wednesday.

Asked whether the party was mindful of the Muslim/Muslim ticket debate still raging at the moment, the source said the party has been making wide-ranging discussions on the issue apart from consulting religious and opinion leaders across the country.

“Yes, we are mindful of the mood in the country presently. But we are also conscious of the fact that the country’s future is more important than every other thing; that is why we have not finalised the arrangement of pairing Fashola with Buhari. But you can be sure that after our consultations, the nation’s paramount interests would be the deciding factor and not religion,” the source, who craved anonymity said.

Before now, there were speculations that the APC was considering a strong Christian from the South-West to pair with a Muslim presidential candidate from the core North. The permutation appears to have changed with the series of meetings that are being held in Abuja and Lagos between the party leaders.

•Excerpted from a Sunday Independent report. File photo shows fashola (right) welcoming Buhari to his office.

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