Tinubu and Shettima candidacy for the 2023 General Election
APC Yoruba elders, supporters reject Muslim-Muslim ticket, ask Shettima to step down
Yoruba elders and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to the party’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubhu, to jettison his choice of former Borno State Governor, Ibrahim Kashim Shettima as running mate, on a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 General Elections, saying move portends an obstacle between him and victory at the polls.
The supporters numbering in their hundreds who participated in a peaceful march in Lagos, Monday, in Lagos, were organized under the aegis of the Coalition of APC Stakeholders Network and Southwest Supporters of Tinubu.
The marchers further demanded a Christian candidate to be included in the presidential ticket of the party.
Some of the banners carried by the marchers read; ‘Dear Baba Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, let Shettima step down in Yoruba interest.’
The latest cal follows that made by supporters of the APC in the North Central zone of the country, who also last week, staged peaceful protests, either calling for a Christian Vice Presidential candidate or demanding the resignation of the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong as Director General of he Tinubu Campaign Organisation.
The Lagos protesters who from Shoprite Ikeja to the State House, Alausa, were led by the group’s President-General, Elder Arokoyo Samuel,who described Tinubu as a ‘political colossus and astute political strategist” who has successfully built an enviable foundation for the party.’
“He has also been crucial in the nation’s democracy being an important figure for almost four decades, hence his emergence as APC presidential candidate was perceived as a breadth of fresh air.
“Being known as a lover of peace, tolerance and exclusivity, he said it was, however, surprising that Tinubu opted for a fellow Muslim as the APC’s vice-presidential candidate.
“As a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, any attempt for one religion to dominate the political structure could only widen the gap of mistrust and destroy the delicate sense of tolerance cultivated over the years.
“Hence, the choice of Shettima was not only ill-timed but also a total disregard for the diversity of the country, crushing the bridges built to connect the religious differences and promote ethnic harmonious co-existence.
“We want the best for the nation and the Muslim-Muslim ticket isn’t. This will set negative precedents for future generations. We must not fail our children.
“In place of Shettima, Tinubu should pick a Christian from the north-central. Doing so will assure the APC of a higher chance of gathering more votes from the North and across the country.
“The north-central dominated by Christians played a vital role in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections. As popular as PMB is in the North, the only times he succeeded were when he won this zone, despite always dominating the Muslim-dominated North West and North East in his previous three attempts.
“There are a good number of Christian voters in the following northern states Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Adamawa, Gombe, Borno, and the FCT, whose votes can be harvested to about 70% if we have a Northern Christian running mate on the ticket.
“Tinubu will write his name in gold should he make this bold decision. He will become the toast of Christians. Imagine the kind of momentum our leader will gather should he get the backing of almost 50 million Christians in Nigeria.
“It is our prayer that Tinubu will look beyond the surface and make this bold decision. We anticipate his timely action,” he said.
