Details about how Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, rejected the invitation to serve as Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the APC presidency have appear.
One of the main explanations given for the APC’s delay in deciding on their vice presidential nominee was Zulum’s rejection.
Atiku Bagudu, the governor of Kebbi State, and Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, were the APC governors’ first choices, according to a source who spoke with Newsmen, but Tinubu initially gave Zulum the ticket.
According to a Tinubu acquaintance who discussed the development, Zulum was repeatedly offered the position despite being the most popular choice for it for two key reasons.
Zulum stated that he was anxious to finish serving as Borno State’s governor and put his restoration plan into action.
Second, his loyalty to Shettima, who has maintained a friendly connection with him despite it being uncommon for governors and their predecessors to do so, played a role.
The source claims that Zulum said he would accept the vice president position if Shettima requested him to do so, but it was challenging for Tinubu’s men to approach the former governor because it was clear that he also desired the position.
The anonymous associate of Tinubu said: “Based on wide consultations as well as a survey, Zulum was the most popular option. He was repeatedly offered the ticket, but he turned it down for two main reasons. The first was that he was eager to complete his tenure as governor of Borno State and implement his reconstruction programme.”
“Secondly, his loyalty to Shettima was also a factor. Zulum was Shettima’s commissioner when he handpicked him as his successor in 2019. They have maintained a cordial relationship which is rare between governors and their predecessors. Zulum finally stated that he would only accept the VP slot if Shettima asked him to take it.”
“But it was difficult for Tinubu’s men to ask Shettima to plead with Zulum to take the job when it was obvious that Shettima also wanted the job. With INEC’s deadline fast approaching, Shettima became the sure option. In any case, Shettima’s loyalty to Tinubu has never been in doubt. So, it became easy to settle for him.”
