''Only Buhari can determine if he wants Osinbajo as his running mate in 2019'' APC says

Spokesperson of the All Progressive Congress APC, Abdullahi Bolaji, says it is only President Buhari who can determine if he wants to run with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate in 2019. This is after President Buhari must have emerged the party's presidential flagbearer after a presidential primary must have been conducted.

Bolaji made the clarification few days after President Buhari declared interest to run for a second term in office. Some Nigerians have expressed fears that President Buhari might drop Osinbajo and pick someone else to run with him in 2019.

In an interview with Punch, Bolaji stated that the party has no hand in chosing who President Buhari will run with

''It is not the duty of the party to impose someone on the presidential candidate.  In any case, if the President emerges as the party’s candidate, we won’t impose anyone on him. Remember he (Buhari) is not going to be the sole aspirant? But it is the duty and the responsibility of the candidate to pick whosoever he likes and he is ready to work with.  It is not the duty of the party to pick or impose anyone on him. No, that is not democracy. So, if President Buhari emerges as our candidate, he is the one to pick and also announce his running mate.”Bolaji said

President Buhari, in 2014, picked Osinbajo as his running mate for the 2015 election which they won. Osinbajo was said to have been nominated by the National leader of APC, Bola Tinubu.