Muslim-Muslim ticket: Tinubu ‘most difficult candidate to sell’ – Melaye, as Lalong apologises to Catholic Church

Decision by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 General Elections has continued to cause ripples in the nation’s polity, as chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former senator, Dino Melaye, has described the ruling party’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as ‘the most difficult to market’ in the forthcoming polls.

This is also as barely days after claiming that the Pope has not told him to withdraw as Director General of the APC’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has tendered his ‘unreserved apologies’ to the Catholic Church over his reaction to calls to resign the appointment.

Governor Lalong also pleaded for the ‘understanding and forgiveness from my brothers in the Catholic faith, the entire members of the Bishops’ Conference, our Fathers and our Leaders. My commitment to the Catholic faith to which | belong remains unreserved and undiluted.’

Speaking as Guest on Channels TV interview, Friday, Melaye, the former senator who represented Kogi West in the senate, described Tinubu as the most challenging presidential candidate to support in the 2023 polls, as well as the most challenging presidential candidate to market in the upcoming election.

According to Melaye, while the PDP’s Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar was faulted with the failures of the then ruling party by the current administration, ‘Tinubu’s bid for president could not possibly be defended without coming across as foolish.’

“This government demarketed Atiku by their colossal failure. Today, the most difficult candidate to sell is APC candidate whether at House of Representatives, senator or governorship level.

“That is why you cannot defend, promote or campaign for Bola Ahmed Tinubu without looking stupid. This is what happened to my brother and friend, Festus Keyamo, he started talking off point. He started saying things that do not make sense.”

Meanwhile, barely days after flaying critics who demanded his resignation from the Tinubu campaign organisation over the party’s insistence on a Muslim-Muslim ticket and also the refusal by the political platform to cede the Vice Presidential slot to the North Central zone, the Plateau Governor Lalong has apologised for referring to the Catholic Church and the Pope during his interview on the same religion presidential ticket of the APC.

Lalong’s apology was contained in a letter addressed to Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), and dated August 12.

It would be recalled that while defending his decision to accept the appointment as Campaign Director, Lalong had said that as a Catholic, the Pope has not informed him that it is improper for him to serve as the director-general of the APC presidential campaign team.

However, in the letter addressed to the Church, Lalong admitted that his comment ‘has brought embarrassment to the Catholic church, especially to the family of Papal Knights.’

“I have followed with some shock and deep regret, the reactions that have trailed my appointment as the Director-General of the Campaign Council for the Presidential Candidates of our Party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Ibrahim Shettima.

“The appointment understandably was received with mixed reactions across the Christian community who genuinely feel aggrieved by the decision of our party to settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“While many people commended me for the appointment and saw it as a way of remaining within the system to fight for our interests, others cast aspersions on it on the grounds that our faith had been insulted and denigrated.

“In the course of this, many of my opponents turned the issue into a political weapon with some spreading rumours and questioning the integrity of my credentials as a Catholic and a Papal Knight. In trying to make my case, I have granted interviews to justify why I believe that the appointment did not in any way undermine my commitment to the Catholic Church.

“During the week, in the course of defending myself, I had cause to make reference to my credentials as a Catholic and a Papal Knight. In the process, I made reference to the Holy Father.

“I now realise that this was an error on my part and has caused some level of concern and even embarrassment to many especially the Members of the family of Papal Knights to which I belong.

“I now understand that I may have overreached myself in the course of trying to defend my personal decision in accepting this appointment and thus, the reference to the holy father was not intended as an act of disrespect to his exalted and revered office.

“Your Grace, by this written letter, I wish to tender my unreserved apologies and ask for their understanding and forgiveness from my brothers in the Catholic faith and, through you, the entire members of the Bishops’ Conference, our Fathers and our Leaders. My commitment to the Catholic faith to which | belong remains unreserved and undiluted.

“I will continue to uphold the banner of my faith in public life as I have done over the years. You may recall, Your Grace that in the last five or so years, I have been at the forefront of facilitating our dialogue as politicians with you our fathers in the faith. I remain committed to this and pray that you will continue to encourage us as we ascend the slippery slope of politics. While soliciting your episcopal blessings.”