The Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has continued to generate controversy that has metamorphosed into a lingering crisis. Northern Christian leaders in the APC and some Northern Muslim Political leaders, on Sunday, said that Voting along Religious lines in the 2023 general election may trigger negative consequences among Nigerians and threaten national development.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who are Northern Christian Leaders, had stated their displeasure over the same Faith ticket of the Party, stating that the APC has failed to focus on issues that unite Nigerians as a people but encouraging attacks on sensitive religious issues in the name of politics.
In a resolution jointly signed by Dogara and a former deputy governor of Sokoto State and ex-Minister of Water Resources during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mukhari Shagari, after a consultative meeting held in Abuja over the weekend, they stated their position on the issue.
Also in attendance was the former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna; a former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed; ex-Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango; Senator Idris Ahmed Umar; and two former Deputy Governors of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi and Simon Achuba.
The communiqué partly reads, “The APC Northern Christian leaders have, in line with their communiqué issued on July 29, 2022, met with some Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 northern states and the FCT and resolved as follows:
“That we have agreed to work together to foster unity, peace, and national cohesion.
“To work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness, and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
“Conscious of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria, we believe that a same-faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation-building.
“Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matters that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitive issues bothering religion in the name of politics.
“Given the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives outlined in this resolution.”
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