There are strong indications that the Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani has decided to pick a Christian from the Southern Kaduna Senatorial zone as his running mate.
This is coming as the deadline for the submission of candidates and their running mates to the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) closes in less than two weeks.
According to Dailytrust, the governor has decided to toe a different path from his predecessor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, by going for a ‘faith balanced’ ticket by choosing a Christian as his running mate.
It is on record that since 1999, all the governors of the state ran with persons of different faiths untill 2019 when El-Rufai while running for a second term decided to do away with that arrangement and settled for the current deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, as his running mate.
Inside sources said the governor has been in a quagmire over whom to pair given the religious sensitivity in the state.
If he runs with another Muslim, the Christians especially those in Southern Kaduna who have commended him for his policy of inclusion in governance, would see it as a betrayal.
Whereas if he chooses a Christian, there are strong indications that it may not go down well with those who would want a continuation of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
A reliable source in the Kaduna Government House also told Dailytrust that the matter of balanced faith ticket has been decided.
“The governor has gone past that stage, he has decided that for fairness, that his ticket would be balanced in terms of faith.
“Initially there were the issues of age; gender, zonal and faith balance, but the governor decided that if the other aspects cannot be balanced , at least that of senatorial zone and faith should trump every other consideration,” he stated.
The source said the governor has decided it will only be fair for Southern Kaduna to retain the position but that he would also run with a Christian running mate.
Governor Sani, according to sources, is only waiting to pick among those whose names are before him that fall within that category.
Diaspora Digital Media understand that the governor is keeping the decision close to his chest to prevent bickering and unnecessary pressure.
“Once the time is ripe he would make the announcement,” the source stated.
Among those pencilled down are Commissioner for Justice James Kanyip; the Head of Service in the state, Mrs Jummai Bako; and Jerry Adams, the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS).
