The posters of the president and his vice are becoming more visible across Nigeria cities. Supporters groups have started campaigning for the duo to lead the country for the next four years.
Osinbajo has shown loyalty and competence as the country vice president. And if one should judge Osinbajo’s acting role whenever Buhari is out of the country, the lawyer has shown leadership.
A former university don, a pastor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria has impressed most Nigerians in his capacity as acting president.
His nomination as Buhari’s running mate came as a surprise to many in 2014 and since he became Nigeria’s number two man, Osinbajo had hit the ground running.
Despite the forces of cabals in the presidency, Osinbajo has outwitted them to keep his job without putting his loyalty to test.
The vice president has been a great beneficiary of his former boss, the Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who recommended him, despite that he also wanted the seat.
Perhaps, Tinubu would have formed another party when it became clear that the cabals in APC would not give him the honour he deserved, he stayed because Osinbajo is still the vice president. As far as Osinbajo is Nigeria’s vice president, Tinubu will be relevant in this administration.
It is difficult for the cabals to break Osinbajo from Buhari. Working with a Christian cleric is not new to Buhari. The president chose the Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare as his running mate while in CPC. Buhari, though a Muslim believes that the population of Christians in Nigeria has helped him to become the president.
During his campaign in 2014, the president visited the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to see the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye for prayers and endorsement.
Millions of the RCCG members across Nigeria actually voted for Buhari because of Osinbajo who is a RCCG pastor and for the fact that the president visited the RCCG camp to see Adeboye, it was a political move that shaped the 2015 presidential election.
The question is, will this happen again, judging by the below average performance of the present administration. I could hear some Christians including members of RCCG say that nobody could convince them to vote Buhari for the second term.
There are those who are bent on voting for Buhari just because Osinbajo is still the running mate. This is a political calculation that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other political parties will have to solve before the 2019 election.
Currently, the PDP is yet to pick a candidate. There are four prominent aspirants, which include former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi and the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki jostling for PDP single presidential ticket.
Who are their running mates?
Great
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