-Edwin Clark confirms he will not vote for Muslim-Muslim ticket, cleric call on Christians to punish APC
By our reporter| Opposition to the choice of Kashim Shettima as the running mate to Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Congress Party (APC) in the 2023 election continued to mount on Tuesday as Christian political leaders within the ruling party in the north said they cannot campaign for the ticket.
The Christian leaders across the 19 northern states, in a communique issued after their meeting, expressed reservations over the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“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,” the communique reads.
“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.”
According to the communique, which was signed by Doknan Sheni, Ishaya Bauka, and Saidu Ibrahim, the Christian APC leaders in the north said the current political atmosphere of the nation is different from what obtained in 1993 when MKO Abiola, who was a Muslim, chose another Muslim as running mate.
They also said the Muslim-Muslim ticket would make it hard for people to believe that the party is not pursuing an “Islamisation” agenda.
“The selection of a Muslim running mate is a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church,” they said.
“That the APC has always come under the suspicion of the Church as pursuing an Islamisation agenda. Hence, the various labels of the APC as: Islamic Movement, Islamic brotherhood, Janjaweed party, Boko Haram party, etc. Now with all the positions in the hands of our Muslim brothers, it would take ingenious mendacity to prove otherwise.
“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 a numerical advantage. By so doing, APC has recklessly thrown its Christian candidates under the bus across the nation.
“We are disheartened that someone who wants to be a leader for all sections of the country is reasoning 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.”
Edwin Clark rejects Muslim-Muslim ticket
Also on Tuesday, Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader and convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), while rejecting the ticket, said he was considering voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) following their decision to zone the presidency to the south.
Clark, who spoke when some members of the APC paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Abuja, however, said that was no longer an option as APC is fielding two Muslims on its ticket.
According to the elder statesman, power shift is in the interest of fairness.
“We have seen that up till today, we still believe in the southern presidency. So, that is why some of us had said that APC that we never wanted to talk about is the one that has listened to us by zoning presidency to the south,” he said.
“Of course, I’m an old man now. I will be 95, and I no longer belong to a political party. Perhaps, if I were to vote, and you put only two parties —that is APC and PDP — I will vote for APC for zoning the presidency to the south, listening to our opinion.
“But the only thing that your party has done that has made me withdraw my support is this Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
Christians must make APC pay heavily for Muslim-Muslim ticket – pastor
Sam Ayedogbon
Meanwhile, a senior apostolic leader at Realm of Glory International Churches, Sam Ayedogbon has also called on Christians to make APC “pay heavily” for fielding two Muslims on its presidential ticket for the 2023 elections.
Ayedogbon, who added his voice to the pushback against the Muslim-Muslim ticket in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, said Christians must make APC know “they have made a terrible mistake”.
“This is the time for Christians to deploy our votes and let them know that they have made a terrible mistake,” he said.
“We should make them pay heavily. Let us use our votes to show them the value of our community as Christians because even when you capture slaves and you’re torturing them and put them in chains and put your leg on their neck and tell them not to cry.
“So I’m advising Christians not to waste their votes but to use it strategically.
“Also, it is not a matter of ethnicity. My issue with my friends on the ‘Obidient'(Peter Obi supporters) side is that I don’t want you to make me feel the reason you are supporting someone is because of their ethnic background. I don’t play ethnic religion.
“The truth of the matter is they (APC) are making a terrible mistake and we are determined, even if they win, we will keep putting fire under them.
“If any Christian leader starts supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket, we will suspect you have been bought.”
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