On Sunday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presented a fellow Muslim and former governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate. The development has attracted backlash and diverse reaction from different quarters, with many chieftains resigning from the party. AJUKA OKAH reports.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) stirred what can best be described as hornet’s nest when the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presented a fellow Muslim and former governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina state, on Sunday, during a Sallah homage to the president.
The development has not gone down well with many Nigerians, including party faithful, who believe that a Christian candidate from any northern state would have been better, considering how touchy Nigerians are with regards to the issue of ethnicity and religion.
While many APC members believe that a Muslim-Muslim ticket is inconsequential, others are of the opinion that a Christian northerner would have balanced the ticket, with regards to fairness, equity and political inclusion.
Perhaps, to drive home their dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s choice, many APC faithful have been resigning their membership of the ruling party, not hiding the reason, which they pointedly cite in their resignation letters.
Amaechi’s Ally dumps APC
On Tuesday, former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, who is an ally of immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, resigned his membership of the APC, in protest of the choice of Kashim Shettima as running mate to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
In his resignation letter, addressed to the Chairman of Ward 3 (Royal Ward), Buguma City, in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Princewill said he cannot continue to “argue for equity in my state and defend inequity in my country.”
The letter reads: “While I appreciate my leader, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi and all his efforts, I cannot defend the decision of my party in fielding a Muslim Muslim ticket, especially at a time like this, against all protestations from well meaning Nigerians across religious and political divides.
“It sets a very wrong precedence; it is totally insensitive and even if you win, will prove bad for good governance. Under these dire circumstances, I find no justification to still remain, in good conscience, a member of a political party that subordinates electoral victory, over the safety of lives and the peace of mind of its citizens.
“The men and women of our party here in Rivers are the most loyal and faithful supporters I have met. They know right and they know wrong. And they know me. I enjoyed working with them and I’m so sad to leave. But an APC party that totally disregards the basics of the same equity we preach, is alien to me. Buhari resisted the same temptation and chose a little known Osinbajo and won. I wish you well. And I remain grateful to our Leader, but I cannot defend the indefensible. And to be totally honest, neither should you.”
…Nollywood actor too
Similarly, in a post on his official Instagram page on Tuesday, veteran Nigerian actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, resigned his membership of the APC over its Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for 2023.
Among other things, he stated that APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket would permanently destroy the political viability of Christians in the north of Nigeria if allowed to stand, adding that he resigned his membership also in the interest of equity, justice, fairness and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
Atiku to benefit
Speaking with this reporter, Convener, Patriots for a New Nigeria Group, Comrade Abdulwahab Ekekhide, said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may benefit from the “miscalculation” by APC.
He said: “With the adoption of a Muslim VP by APC, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP may as well have been handed the Presidency on a platter of gold, because APC has just scored an own goal. The debate on the running mate to the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was on the top burner of political discourse since he emerged the candidate of the party. A lot of permutations and strategies to win elections have been proposed by various interest groups within and outside the APC.
“If the fear is that without a Muslim Vice Presidential candidate the APC might not get majority votes from the North, then I disagree because even with a Muslim Vice Presidential candidate the North will still prefer to vote for their Presidential candidate, as nobody will have an option of being the President and go for Vice President position knowing that the Vice President has no powers. So, Atiku may as well be the beneficiary of APC’s miscalculation with Shettima.
“I think that it would have been better for the APC to choose a Northern Christian like Simon Lalong of Plateau State as Vice Presidential candidate for the APC, instead of Shettima. This would have ensured inclusiveness, promoted peace and unity for sustainable development and attract sentimental votes as all Northern and Middle belt Christians will vote APC.
“The singular act of the APC to zone the Presidency to the South was already a plus. All the APC needed were sympathy votes from minority tribes in the country to win the 2023 Presidential elections, but they have shot themselves on the foot with the choice of Shettima. Nevertheless, I wish the party well, with Atiku waiting in the wings.”
Nabena differs
Interestingly, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Hon. Yekini Nabena, has said Nigerians should be more worried about reasons the opposition PDP killed fairness and conventional power rotation between the North and the South, and not a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the ruling party.
Speaking with newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, the APC chieftain said that abandoning zoning arrangement by the PDP is more harmful to the unity of Nigeria when compared to single faith ticket, which he said is not new in Nigeria according to history.
Nabena, while urging Nigerians to ignore the unnecessary cry by opposition parties, said there are Muslims in the North as well as all part of the South, hence Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC is harmless.
When asked whether Muslim-Muslim ticket will sell in the South-south where he hails from, the Bayelsa born APC chieftain urged Nigerians to reject PDP in 2023 to show their anger against the injustice done to the zoning arrangement.
He said: “None of those agitating against the Muslim-Muslim ticket on the basis of fairness have considered the African Traditional Worshippers. How fair is it that we are agitating for fairness and equity to share power between Christians and Muslims while completely ignoring and alienating our African Traditional Worshippers, where is the justice?
“Nigeria should worry more about the zoning arrangement which the PDP has just killed for their selfish interest and desperation of its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because for Atiku it is the last chance which will become one-chance for him by 2023.
“In the South-south where we have Christian-Christian ticket for the Governor and Deputy Governor still there is no tangible development. Take for example, the NDDC headed by a Christian Minister and a Christian Managing Director, what is the result?
“The APC has done the right thing by zoning the presidency to the South. Nigerians must know that religion is a matter of individual race, the most important thing is that the presidency is in the South compared to PDP’s unfair treatment to the South.
“PDP zoned Presidency to the North while the incumbent President is from the North, a Muslim and Fulani man, just like Atiku. This actually calls for anger and not a harmless Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.”
CIGI throws weight behind Tinubu
On its part, a socio-political group, the Continuity in Governance Initiative (CIGI), lauded the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as Running Mate to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, saying it is a perfect choice because of Shettima’s antecedents.
During a press conference on Monday, the Executive Secretary of CIGI, Chief Nonso Ezedinwa, said that, as a two term Executive Governor of Borno State, between 2011-2019, Shettima turned the fortunes of the state around, even as he contended with the Boko Haram insurgents.
He said: “We have received the news of the choice of Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima as running mate to our Principal, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with great relief. For us in the CIGI, it is a perfect match, as the two personalities are embodiments of achievements both as private entrepreneurs and public administrators.
“As a two term Executive Governor of Borno State, between 2011-2019, Shetima turned the fortunes of the state around, even as he contended with the Boko Haram insurgents. It was during his tenure that Borno state’s internally generated revenue increased significantly, with rapid transformation in infrastructure development in most parts of the state.
“His choice, therefore, as a loyal and committed ally of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must have been influenced by his pedigree as a Progressive politician with track records in good governance. We wish to state that we agree entirely with our principal on the choice of Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima, who has demonstrated his doggedness as a fighter for whatever course he believes in.
“What Nigeria needs right now is a team of leaders with the vision, capacity and determination to turn around the fortunes of our dear country, irrespective of religion, or ethnic considerations. We must therefore commend our principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for demonstrating great wisdom in the choice of Distinguished Senator Kashim Shetima as his running mate.
“On our part, we pledge to deploy all our energies and wide networks across the country to mobilize Nigerians for the success of our principal and the party at the polls in 2023 elections. We are convinced beyond all doubts that Asiwaju/ Kashim combination, is a winning ticket for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 presidential election.”
Northern APC Christians lacerate Buhari, Tinubu, others
Meanwhile, the last is yet to be heard of the decision of Tinubu to adopt a fellow Muslim and former governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima, as running mate, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Joining the league of diverse Nigerians kicking against the Muslim-Muslim ticket, Christian leaders of APC extraction in all the 19 Northern states, said that the development betrays what the APC stands for and should be roundly rejected.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting on Monday, signed by Prof. Doknan DD Sheni, Dr. Ishaya G Bauka and Prof. Saidu Ibrahim on behalf of the Northern APC Christian leaders, the APC faithful urged President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the negative precedence to avert the party losing the 2023 presidential election.
The Christian leaders said that Tinubu is pursuing a selfish ambition by adopting a fellow Muslim as running mate, when Nigeria needs unity that can only be ensured by the adoption of a Christian as running mate.
The communiqué reads: “The Christian political leaders within the APC in the 19 Northern States met in Abuja on the 11th of July 2022 to deliberate on the issue of the Party’s Muslim- Muslim ticket and its implication to the nation.
“The meeting noted with concern the resignation of some high profile chieftains from the APC across the states of the federation, as a consequence with more to follow unless concerted efforts are made to redeem our party from hate mongers and those who seek to exploit religion to perpetuate their self-interests as opposed to national interest.
“After extensive deliberations, the meeting came to the following conclusions:
“That as Christians within the APC, we cannot in all fairness to our consciences and faith go to our various constituencies to campaign for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“That Nigeria is a multi-religious and a constitutional democracy and not a theocracy with religion as a major national fault line, which cannot be whimsically manipulated without dire political consequences on our peaceful co-existence as a people.
“That the current Nigerian environment and political atmosphere of the nation is different from what occurred in 1993 and 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?
“ The selection of a Muslim running mate is a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church. It s also a betrayal of the advocates of unity and peaceful co-existence with our Muslim brothers, including notable lmams, who had forewarned the Party and the candidate from traveling that treacherous route.
“That the APC has always come under the suspicion of the Church as pursuing an Islamizatıon agenda. Hence, the various labels of the APC as: Islamic Movement, Islamic brotherhood, Janjaweed party, Boko Haram party, etc, etc. Now, with all the positions in the hands of our Muslim brothers, it would take ingenious mendacity to prove otherwise.
“That if the APC said a Muslim- Muslim ticket would be injurious to the health of our nation in 2015, what has therefore radically changed to make Muslim–Muslim ticket good for the health of our nation in 2023, if we may ask?
“That the rejection of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by Christians would undermine the electoral fortunes of the APC and its candidates across all States and constituencies where Christians enjoy numerical advantage. By so doing, APC has recklessly thrown its Christian candidates under the bus across the nation.”
The communiqué further contended: “That considering the fact that PMB, the chairman of the party, deputy chairman north, the president of the Senate, the speaker and deputy speaker, and now both the presidential candidate and his running mate, etc are all Muslims, and assuming that such lopsidedness does not violate 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 arrangements to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria?
“The APC party constitution preamble states “will guarantee equal opportunity for all mutual and peaceful co-existence respect and understanding, eliminating all forms discrimination and social injustice among Nigerians”. The Muslim Muslim ticket appears to have violated this provision.
“That Mr. President being also the Leader of APC is urged to intervene in this matter in order to ensure justice, equity and fair play in the interest or the peace and stability of this great nation and save our party from disintegration. We believe that PMB, who fought to keep Nigeria one, will not allow fanatics on both sides to wreak havoc on what remains of the tapestry that binds us a people. We can avoid the dire political consequences of the contraption called “same faith ticket”.
“We are disheartened that someone who wants to be a leader for all sections of the country is resorting to religious exclusivism as a tool for winning an election. This will certainly result in a massive revolt against the party. Leadership is all about inclusiveness, justice and equity.
“At this moment of National peril, we believe that what should be paramount in Nigeria is UNITY. For without unity, we cannot build. 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.”