The choice of Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno State, as the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has prompted Emeka Obasi, a media adviser to Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, to respond (APC).
The APC adopted a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 Presidential election, according to Obasi, without taking into account the sensibilities of Nigerians or the nation as a whole.
Obasi claimed that the ruling party should have taken into account the mood of the country after learning that having two Muslim candidates could incite people of other religions in an interview with Newsmen on Monday.
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However, he expressed worries that the party was going too far by running a Muslim against another Muslim and that it might make the election campaign primarily about religion.
He said, “Personally, I don’t have anything against anybody’s choice provided he is qualified to be at any level of leadership. I tried to toe the line of my principal. The issue we have at hand is a serious one. This seeming idea of not accommodating all Nigerians by the APC and Tinubu is evident through his choice of a running mate that is from the same faith as him. The Muslim-Muslim ticket is not considering the sensibilities of this country.
“The ruling party should have considered that this is a secular state and know that having two Muslim candidates can provoke people of other religions. I honestly don’t know how they intend to manage this.
“I hope they are not trying to make this election campaign be centred on religion. It is not something people should be happy about. We have a Constitution that talks about having federal character.
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“We cannot be having number one and two citizens coming from the same sect, zone or religion. I see (it) becoming a big discourse in days to come. I doubt if the APC will get away with it.”
Obasi asserted that Shettima’s choice does not pose a threat to Obi’s ambition, adding that the LP Presidential candidate respects all the candidates and their running mates.
“There is no individual or political platforms that we in the Labour Party consider as a threat. Borrowing from the words of my principal, go and verify. We are going for a battle and we respect every candidate and supporter. We are in it to win. Let the game begin,” he said.
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