Notes for File
What happens if Kabiru Masari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential placeholder decides to go rogue? That is one question that has been agitating the minds of not a few discerning political observers since the news that Masari’s name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) broke.
Tinubu had defeated former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 12 others to clinch the APC sole presidential ticket at the party’s national convention.
Since after the presidential primary, he has been making consultations for a running mate. In order to beat the INEC’s June 17 deadline for the submission of running mates of all the presidential candidates, on Friday, the APC presidential candidate submitted the name of a Katsina State politician, Kabiru Masari, as his vice presidential placeholder until he gets a more suitable choice, most likely a sitting governor from the North.
Not much is known about Masari other than the fact that he is a politician in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.
But after he was announced as a placeholder running mate, Masari started trending on social media.
It is not clear why it is taking too long to get a competent and sellable candidate for the post of the vice president.
But a source close to the APC presidential candidate said: “Asiwaju will use that time to continue consulting with the party, governors and the president. He is taking his time and doesn’t want to rush it. He just wants to carry everybody along. Even the elections will take place in 2023 and the campaign wouldn’t start until September. The window period is still long. There is no need to rush anything about it.
“I think we have fulfilled our own part by submitting the name as required before the window of INEC deadline closes. He is not really a surrogate per se. He is just holding forth. The electoral act stipulates that candidates have the window period to substitute up till sometime in August.”
But since the name of Masari was submitted, many analysts and observers have been wondering and imagining what would if the placeholder decides to go rogue. Won’t that be serious trouble for the APC?
