2023: Tambuwal Hints On Accepting Vice-presidential Slot

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has spoken on accepting to be he running mate of a southern presidential candidate.

Reports had emerge during the week claiming that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives had rejected such arrangements.

But in an interview with Daily Trust, the former presidential aspirant stated that his ambition to be president is not a ‘do or die’ affair.

Asked if he was ready to accept a vice-presidential slot, he said: “I am not fixated on being the president of Nigeria; I want that to be clear. I am always ready to support the process that will bring in one of our best.”

Tambuwal however rejected calls by southern governors that the presidency must return to their zone after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

According to him, he is not bound by the decision of the Southern Governors as he is part of the Northern governors forum that reject it.

The former lawmaker added that it was not up to the Southern governors to nominate a candidate for a party.

Tambuwal said: “I have made my position very clear on that issue – that when the southern governors met and made that position, northern governors also met in Kaduna and made their position. I am a governor from the North, so I will not be bound by the position of the southern governors on their own platform.

“In any case, the nomination process has to do more with political parties and their arrangements, not forums of governors. It also has to do more fundamentally with the rights of citizens, either to run for election or not. These are even more fundamental than whatever arrangements any governors’ forum is coming up with. So I believe it is part of the process.   

“The southern governors are saying it should go to the South, while the northern governors are saying it should come to the North, and I was part and parcel of that decision as a governor from the North.”