A professor, an ex-soldier, can they deliver the presidency to APC?

The emergence of Yemi Os inb a j o on Wednesday, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former attorney-general and commissioner for justice in Lagos State, as running mate to Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has continued to elicit divergent reactions.
BDSUNDAY gathered that Osinbajo emerged to take care of the interest of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a national leader of the party, without whose efforts there would be no APC today.
It was learnt that Tinubu had opted to go for the slot but was prevailed upon to jettison the ambition. To contain his interest therefore, he presented a man in “whom he is well pleased”. Beyond the emergence of Osinbajo, what many people have not really understood is the level of electoral value the professor of law is bringing to the table at a time critics strongly believe that the ‘Broom Party’ needed an astute politician that is sellable to the Nigerian electorate to pair Buhari.
Those who expressed this sentiment said that the fact that Osinbajo is a professor and appears to have done well in Lagos as an attorney-general cannot be used as a yardstick to measure his electoral value on a national scale.

A pundit who pleaded anonymity, said: “The professor of Law may have done very well as commissioner for justice, but that was an appointment. The question is, could he have won the position if it were contested? There is a world of difference between contesting an election and getting political appointment. I strongly believe that Professor Osinbajo is a complete visitor to the nation’s political space.”It was also gathered that the likes of Governors Rotimi Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole of Rivers and Edo States, respectively, could not fit the VP slot because of some permutations that were said to be capable of working against the party in 2015 if overlooked.
It was said that after a hard look at the issue of zoning, the party came to the realisation that the South-South geopolitical zone may not be well disposed to voting for APC because of Amaechi or Oshiomhole, as vice-president, since the zone already has a president.
“You see, a lot of calculations go into politics. As a way of illustration; there’s a certain Alhaji that wanted to contest against David Mark, the
Senate president, in his senatorial district in Benue. Stakeholders told the Alhaji to tame his ambition. They reminded the man that the district did not need a senator at this time since they already have a Senate president. And that there was no way he would become the Senate president even if he defeated David Mark. That’s political calculation,” the pundit said, adding: “Don’t forget that South-
Southerner is occupying the position of national chairman of APC. So, if a South-West person did not emerge, it would have been a campaign point against a party that says it wants to right the wrongs of the PDP that is being accused of marginalising the South West.”
It was also learnt that the attempt to consider the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, could not pull through principally because of his recent performance at his re-election attempt, which he lost to Ayodele Fayose of the PDP. He was said not to possess an electoral value, having lost a state election.
Again, beyond the Muslim-Muslim ticket that was blamed to have robbed Babatunde Fashola, governor, Lagos State, of the VP slot, analysts
strongly believe that his alleged “not too cordial relationship between him and his godfather, particularly, the wheeling and dealing that
characterised the recent gubernatorial primary in the state” may have widened the alleged gulf.
Our correspondent also learnt that part of the calculation that threw up Osinbajo was that he, being a senior pastor with a large church in
the country, population-wise; he would garner sympathy votes from the Christian community to enable his principal coast home to victory.
But the leadership of the church, in a swift reaction said it would not want to be dragged into partisan politics as it is not its calling.
Dissociating itself from the rumours making the rounds that Enoch Adeboye, general overseerof the Redeemed Christian Church of God, gave his blessings to the vice-presidential ambitionof Osinbajo, the RCCG denied celebrating the emergence of the law professor who pastors its Olive Parish located on Banana Island, Lagos.
“We are a mission and we do not meddle in politics,” the RCCG stated, while urging Nigerians to be wary of fictitious and misleading social media accounts dragging its name into the murky waters of politics.
In their separate reactions, Tam David-West, a die-hard supporter of Buhari and Ayo Opadokun, convener, Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform, had said Osinbajo would add huge value to the ticket.
David-West said: “I don’t know him (Osinbajo); he was chosen by a panel. He is Tinubu’s candidate. I heard about him during Al-Mustapha’s trial. Although I don’t consider him as a heavyweight, his political leverage will be that of Tinubu. But for General Buhari, he has the goodwill of Nigerians across the country. I have no doubt in my mind that Buhari/Osinbajo combination will win the election.
If APC gets South-West, North West and North East, they cannot be stopped. The presidential primary will even be tougher than the main election the way I am seeing it. So, I have no doubt about the ability of the team to win the election,” he said.
For Opadokun, Osinbajo has tremendous electoral value that would work in APC’s favour.

“If you have followed Professor Osinbajo’s activities while he was the attorney-general in Lagos State, you would agree with me that he is
an accomplished technocrat. Apart from his high achievements in public office, he is also a highly accomplished man of God. Those who may be wondering if he has any electoral value may not have followed his career. Some of the innovations he brought into the profession are still there. For instance, before he became the commissioner for justice in Lagos, lawyers’ salaries were not really taking them home, but today, they have enhanced pay. Other states have since emulated it.
“So, if the church supports him, and I know that they will, he will be a huge asset to APC in the election. Again, the Christian community will not only be satisfied, it would assist in ensuring that the party wins the election,” he said.
“No one should make a mistake in comparing him with the other man that came up in 2011. That person had no constituency beyond his church;  Yemi has constituency outside his church. I am comfortable with the choice Buhari has made,” Opadokun further said.
A staunch member of the party, who craved anonymity, said: “I am impressed with the turn of events. If nothing else, the pairing should be able to convince those who had believed that General Buhari would just change everything about Nigeria to Islam. With Prof. Osinbajo coming from the Redeemed Church background, no one should be in doubt of the kind of person he is. Unless the Christian community is not committed to seeing righteousness in government, otherwise, Osinbajo represents a practical Christian that should massively receive the votes of his brethren across party and ethnic lines.”
Another member of the party said: “I think it is the best thing that has happened to the country. We now have a true Christian going to the seat of power.
It is said that when the righteous is in power, the people rejoice. My appeal is that Nigerians should be wise this time around.