Three governors yesterday gave a robust defense of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential team, saying the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not anti-Christian.
The ruling party’s national chairman Abdullahi Adamu also said Christians have no cause for worry.
At separate fora, Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Aminu Masari (Katsina) dispelled insinuations of insensitivity by the ticket.
Ganduje objected to the claim by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal that the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as running mate by the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, portends disaster at the poll.
He also dismissed as unjustifiable the insinuation by the Adamawa politician that the Ganduje Foundation, a philanthropic organization, was being used by him to force Christians to join Islam.
Masari, who spoke with reporters in Katsina, said the choice of Shettima was a wise decision, assuring that Christians and Muslims will vote for the ticket.
Senator Adamu also allayed the fear of some Christians about the ticket, saying that they have nothing to fear.
Akeredolu urged the electorate to ignore religion and vote for competence in next year’s election.
The governor, who spoke during the swearing in of new commissioners in Akure, the state capital, said the buck stops at the president’s table, adding that the vice president’s religion does not affect the performance of any administration.
Second Republic member of the House of Assembly in Imo State Ugochukwu Nnawuike advised critics to stop lamenting over the APC ticket.
He said their lamentations cannot produce any result, except the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) agree to forge an alliance ahead of the 2023 poll.
Lawal, a prominent APC chieftain, had on Wednesday described the Muslim-Muslim ticket as a “disastrous error” by the president candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The ex-SGF, who recalled that he had warned Tinubu against the option, commented that by choosing a Muslim as running mate, he has brought religion to the front burner of politics and taken sides with his own religion.
Lawal said: “He (Tinubu) must also be told that there will be consequences for his choice. Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC to put the chances of his election in serious jeopardy.”
The former SGF also accused Ganduje of an agenda to convert Christians to Islam.
He alleged that the primary purpose of his foundation is to force Christians to become Muslims.
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