Northern Christian Political Leaders in the All Progressives Congress (APC), across the 19 northern states of Nigeria have accused APC Vice Presidential candidate Kashim Shettima, of possible complicity in the April 2014 kidnap of over 200 Chibok School girls.
In a communique issued at the end of its meeting Monday night, and jointly signed by Chairman and Secretary, Prof. Doknan Sheni and Ishaya Bauka, it claimed the APC’s Muslim-Muslim pairing of Shettima and ticket flagbearer Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu could earn the party the tag of an Islamic party, even as they suspected that Shettima might be involved in some terrorism activities.
While noting that the ticket was a hard sell for them and that there might be consequences if the Muslim-Muslim pairing was not changed, the leaders said the party’s decision was insensitive and would be difficult for them to sell the idea to their constituencies.
Arguing that the situation of the country now could not be compared to what it was in 1993, when Nigerians unanimously settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket without prodding, the group stressed that the country’s unity was of utmost importance and not any other thing.
It, therefore, warned that there would be dire consequences for the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential poll, adding that if it was not possible in 2015, now was not the best of time to introduce it.
“The selection of a Muslim vice presidential candidate portrayed insensitivity to the Christians in the nation. The fear of the Christians in the north and the nation in general is that the APC party will be viewed as an Islamic party. The Christians in the north and the whole nation are highly aggravated.
“More so, we are apprehensive that the person picked might have had a hand in the Chibok girls saga and other terror activities. Moslem-Moslem ticket would undermine the election chances of Christians candidates in APC in the various states in the North.
“Considering that the chairman of the party is a Moslem, deputy chairman north is a Moslem, the president of the senate is a Moslem, the speaker and deputy speaker are Moslems, and now both the presidential and Vice presidential candidates are Moslems and apart from this violating the constitution section 14 subsection 3, if this was to be reversed that all these were Christians, can any Moslem in the North be able to sell the APC presidential tickets to any Moslem ummah?
“If this selection of a Moslem Vice President candidate is not changed, there will be serious and grave consequences.”
While arguing that, what should be paramount in the country now was unity and not infrastructure or the economy, the leaders added that, “For without unity, we cannot build. Any party or candidate that elevates the greed of a few above the needs of the many, has no business running the affairs of Nigeria.”
THISDAY
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