More trouble for Tinubu, APC, as northern APC Christian leaders reject Muslim-Muslim ticket

From David Kuvie Bauchi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Christian leaders in the 19 states of Northern Nigeria have rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly intervene to avoid defeat by the party at the polls.

It described the Muslim-Muslim ticket as unjust and unfair saying it is a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church.

“At this moment of National peril, what is paramount in Nigeria is UNITY. Any political party or candidate that elevates the greed of a few people above the needs of the generality of the people has no business running the affairs of Nigeria,” they posited.

They argued that APC picking former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, a Muslim, as Vice Presidential candidate, was a betrayal of unity and peaceful co-existence with Muslim brothers, including notable Islamic clerics who had fore ofwarned the party and Ahmed Bola Tinubu from “traveling that treacherous route”

In a communique of their meeting signed by Professor Doknan D Sheni and Professor Saidu Ibrahim respectively, the APC northern Christian leaders argued that in fairness to their conscience and faith, they cannot go to their constituencies and campaign for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

They maintained that Nigeria is a multi-religious and a constitutional democracy, and not a theocracy with religion as a major fault line.

The APC leaders warned that any attempt to manipulate the multi religious complexity of Nigeria would have dire political consequences on the country’s peaceful co-existence as a people.

They opined that the current Nigerian environment and political atmosphere of the nation is different from what occurred in 1993, therefore a Muslim-Muslim ticket is unacceptable.

“It doesn’t take the smart to know that the Abiola/Kingibe victory in 1993 turned out to be a pyrrhic victory as there was never a President Abiola nor Vice President Kingibe. Is that what we want, a repeat of in 2023?,” it quiried.

They believe the Muslim-Muslim ticket, if APC allows it to stand, would only fuel suspicious by the Church that the party is pursuing an Islamization agenda, adding that,”with all the positions in the hands of our Muslim brothers, it would take ingenious mendacity to prove otherwise”

The APC Christian leaders warned that the rejection of the Muslim-Muslim ticket by Christians would undermine the electoral fortunes of the APC and its candidate across all states and constituencies where Christians enjoy numeric advantage.

It describes the Muslim Muslim ticket as unjust, considering the fact that the President, National Chairman of the APC, President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House, and now both the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are all Muslims.

“Assuming that such lopsidedness does not violates S.14 (3) of the Constitution: if this was to be reversed so that all these were Christians, can any contentious Muslim in Nigeria attempt to sell such patently unjust and unfair arrangement to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria,” the APC Christian leaders asked.

They also argued that the Muslim -Muslim ticket presented by the APC and its Presidential candidate violates the constitution of the party “to guarantee equal opportunity for all mutual and peaceful co-existence, respect.and understanding, eliminating all forms of discrimination and social injustice among Nigerians”

The leaders called on Presidential Muhammadu Buhari to immediately intervene to ensure justice , equity and fair play, advising that the leadership of the party should not all fanatics on both sides do not wreak havoc on the party.