Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former military Head of State, General
Muhammadu Buhari Friday sign-posted the nature of the battle ahead for the
2007 presidential race by picking their running mates from the South East.
While Atiku picked former deputy governor of Anambra State under the
administration of Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Chudi Nwike, Buhari pitched
his tent with Second Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief
Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.
The running mates of the two leaders emerged as the parties submitted the
list of their candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to beat the set December 22 deadline.
Before the submission of the list of candidates, there had been speculations
as to the choice of possible running mates for Atiku and Buhari, considered
strong contenders for the nationıs highest post.
When during the week, General Buhari was adopted by the ANPP as its
candidate, it was gathered that the former head of state was likely to pick
his running mate from the South East of the country.
Prominent among those being considered for the position were, among others,
the governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, Senate President, Ken Nnamani
and Ume-Ezeoke also the national chairman of the ANPP.
Others include first civilian governor of old Abia state, Ogbonnaya Onu,
former scribe of the ANPP, George Muoghalu as well as former presidential
aspirants, Harry Akande and Pere Ajuwa.
The presence of Buhari at the national convention of the Progressive Peoples
Alliance (PPA) where Kalu emerged as the presidential candidate also gave
credence to the information that there were talks between the two over the
issue of picking a running mate.
Although it was not very clear who the vice president would pick as a
running mate, there were indications that the choice would likely be from
the South East geo-political zone of country.
The choice of a running mate from the South East may be the oppositionıs
plot to counter the decision by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to pick
the governor of Bayelsa State, Goodluck Jonathan from the Niger Delta as the
running mate to Umaru Musa YarıAdua of Katsina State who emerged the partyıs
candidate last week.
Apart from the PDP, ANPP and AC, seven other parties beat the deadline to
submit the names of presidential flag bearer, which include Action Alliance
(AA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Labour Party, All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA) and Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA).
