A prominent political support group, Tinubu Support Organization (TSO), has endorsed Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State as the best choice of running mate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of the 2023 polls.
TSO said it took the decision after its consultation meeting with critical stakeholders of the APC in the North-West geo-political zone.
The group noted that APC has many outstanding individuals among its leaders that can serve as Tinubu’s running mate, but the North-West as the single largest voting bloc in Nigeria should be allowed to produce the next Vice President.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on Monday, Director-General of Tinubu Support Organization, Hon. Aminu Suleiman, said the choice of running mate was a critical success factor for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Suleiman said: “After due consultation with critical Stakeholders especially in the North-West, it is of the fact that El-Rufai is Asiwaju’s best choice for Vice President.”
He added the Tinubu Support Organisation was working tirelessly for the election of Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria and it believed that the choice of a running mate was a critical factor.
“We are glad that the APC has many outstanding individuals among its leaders. But having assessed all the options, it is the view of TSO that the APC’s candidate for VP should be chosen from the North-West, the single largest voting bloc in Nigeria.
“It is our view that the person that can best compliment Asiwaju as VP is Malam Nasir El-Rufai The Executive Governor of Kaduna State and we recommend that he should be chosen as the running mate.
“El-Rufai is a very experienced person. He has held office at the federal level and at the state level, and he has done well in every office. He has always stood for progressive policies. He is not afraid of difficult decisions. This is a man that is running a state government with appointees from all over Nigeria.
“His capacity is not in doubt. His personal ability is outstanding. He is firm. He is courageous. He is principled. We know that he resisted every pressure to be dragged into the presidential race. We appreciate him and his colleagues, the APC governors from the north, for sticking to the view that gentlemen should respect agreements.
“El-Rufai is a leader whose talents and energy should be brought back to the federal level. We appeal to all our leaders in the APC to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to choose El-Rufai as his running mate,” the grouo stated.
