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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Christian political leaders from the North in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the party for the 2023 general election will have serious and grave consequences.
On Sunday, the party’s presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, announced former Borno State Governor, Sen. Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.
The announcement has garnered mixed reactions from different groups across the country.
The Christian leaders across the 19 Northern states, in a communique issued after a meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday, said they would not go against their conscience and faith, and go to their various constituencies to campaign for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In the communique signed by Doknan Sheni, Ishaya Bauka and Saidu Ibrahim, the Christian APC leaders said the current political atmosphere of the nation is different from what obtained in 1993 when MKO Abiola, who was a Muslim, chose another Muslim as his running mate.
“As Christians within the APC, we cannot in all fairness to our consciences and faith, go to our various constituencies to campaign for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious and a constitutional democracy and NOT a theocracy with religion as a major national fault line which cannot be whimsically manipulated without dire political consequences on our peaceful co-existence as a people,” the communique read.
They also said the Muslim-Muslim ticket would make it hard for people to believe that the party is not pursuing an “Islamisation” agenda.
“The selection of a Muslim running mate is a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church.
“That the APC has always come under the suspicion of the Church as pursuing an Islamisation agenda. Hence, the various labels of the APC as Islamic Movement, Islamic brotherhood, Janjaweed party, Boko Haram party, etc. Now with all the positions in the hands of our Muslim brothers, it would take ingenious mendacity to prove otherwise.
“If the APC said a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be injurious to the health of our nation in 2015, what has therefore radically changed to make Muslim-Muslim ticket good for the health of our nation in 2023 if we may ask?
“That the rejection of a Muslim – Muslim ticket by Christians would undermine the electoral fortunes of the APC and its candidates across all states and constituencies where Christians enjoy a numerical advantage. By so doing, APC has recklessly thrown its Christian candidates under the bus across the nation.
“We are disheartened that someone who wants to be a leader for all sections of the country is reasoning to religious exclusivism as a tool for winning an election. This will certainly result in a massive revolt against the party. Leadership is all about inclusiveness, justice and equit,” the communique added.
They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter in the interest of “peace and stability of the nation.”
