Some northern leaders have rejected the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
There has been controversy over the choice of Bola Tinubu’s running mate.
Tinubu, APC presidential candidate, had picked Kashim Shettima, former governor of Borno, as his running mate.
Both men are Muslims.
In a communique issued on Saturday and shared by Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives, the group said the Muslim-Muslim ticket portends danger for the country.
Dogara is said to be opposed to Tinubu’s presidential bid for allegedly not being picked as running mate.
Some Nigerians are of the view that religion should not be a criterion for choosing the country’s next president.
Below is the statement in full.
RESOLUTION OF NORTHERN LEADERS CONSULTATIVE MEETING HELD ON 8TH OCTOBER 2022, AT NAF CONFERENCE CENTRE, KADO DISTRICT, ABUJA.
The APC Northern Christian leaders have in line with their communique issued on July 29, 2022, today met with some Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 northern states and the FCT and resolved as follows:
1. That we have agreed to work together with a view to fostering unity, peace and national cohesion.
2. To work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
3. Conscious of multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria we believe that a same faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation building. Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matter that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitive issues bothering on religion in the name of politics.
4. In view of the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives set forth in this resolution.
