2023: Controversy trails APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket

Controversies have continued to trail the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for choosing a Muslim as his running mate in the 2023 general election.

Tinubu, himself a Muslim, chose another Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as a running mate, attracting backlash from many Nigerians.

According to a Kaduna-based activist, Dr. Mustapha Rabo, he said the state can practice the same religion if it is the majority, but not in Nigeria, where we have Christians, Muslims, idol worshipers, Hindus, and several other hidden believers.

“You don’t just commando all federal resources and opportunity to one religion. This happens when people ignore the constitution of Nigeria,” he said.

He said a country without a proper record and constitution, is bound to lose its respect, as every Tom, Dick, and Harry can decide what they want, and dictate to the majority.

Professor Yusufu Omajali, former Head of Department, Bayero University Kano, and now at Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, said there is need to respect other people’s religion.

Nigeria is for all, not for a group of people, not for the poor, rich, Christians, Muslims alone, but for all, and everybody must be carried along in the scheme of things.

“In a country where you have a constitution, but not obeyed, or only work for the poor, but not for the rich, you come across several characters,” he said.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Manzo Ukwugbe, told DAILY POST in Kaduna that right from the inception of the country’s political system, it has been for a Muslim-Christian presidential setting.

According to him, this is done so that the two majority religions do not feel sidelined.

It also showed that these bodies have representatives at the centre, where they can express their feelings, and be heard when things go wrong.

Now, with the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a Christian man who feels aggrieved, Who will he meet? Who represents him? Who decides at the national level what belongs to Christianity or equitable sharing of portfolios? Or who will then receive Christian envoy, discuss Christian-related issues at the presidential villa?” He asked.