Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the House of Representatives says the decision of the ruling party to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket in next year’s presidential election is a threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence and unity.
The former Speaker is the latest among All Progressives Congress, APC stalwarts that have criticized the decision of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu’s for picking Kassim Shetima, a former Governor of Borno state as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
A gale of defections has recently swept through the party in the wake of the choice of Shetima to run with the former Lagos state governor and APC National Leader.
Speaking, Yakubu who was among some leaders of the party initially shortlisted for Tinubu to pick from said the party has made an ungodly decision by going for same faith ticket.
It was wrong for Tinubu to pick another Muslim to run with him “at this time of national peril”, he said.
The former Speaker spoke at the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN’s 12th General Assembly and Leadership Transition Ceremony, in Abuja the nation’s capital.
According to him, “I want to say emphatically that CAN’s position on Muslim/Muslim ticket in this country, at this moment of national peril, is not CAN’s only position, I believe that is God’s position.
“We serve a God of justice, our God is righteous, our God is the author of diversity, and he wants as diverse as we are to come together. So, CAN’s position as much as it is a righteous position, it is the position of all of us who live righteousness, justice, diversity and are working to harness it for the advancement of this country.
“We are all aware that in the past weeks, the Nigerian mainstream media and the general public have been occupied with the discussions on the Muslim-Muslim ticket by the All Progressive Congress (APC), one of the political parties in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
“We clearly want to emphasize that this is not healthy for the highly diversified Nigerian space, especially in the face of the growing and alarming insecurity in our nation at the moment. Any well-meaning presidential candidate will focus the all-inclusive Federal Character.
“Consequently, the Nigerian Christian youth are not unaware of division and tension currently overheating an heated polity in Nigeria and, therefore, will not support or encourage any action or decision capable of further dividing and setting this nation on fire.
“Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket insults the sensitivity of Nigerians and the Christian youths are saying a big NO!” Alfred Olushola, North Central president of the body had said.
Meanwhile, the magazine learnt that Tinubu met with Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna state and former Governor Adams Oshimhole of Edo state in preparation for the February 2023 presidential election. Sources pricy to the meeting held in Tinubu’s Abuja home, said the duo has been chosen by Tinubu to lead the APC presidential campaign.
