By our reporter| Northern Christian members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday formally rejected the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
The group which made the decision at a summit in Abuja, the nation’s capital, said the ticket goes against all the principles of equity, fairness, and justice.
Joining party stalwarts such as Yakubu Dogara and Babachir Lawal were members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and clergymen who said Christians in the North must rise against the injustice of the ruling party.
According to them, the ticket was an attempt to further divide the country.
“This is very divisive and must be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians,” Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said.
“Also implied in this ticket is the insinuation that Northern Muslims are not willing to vote for a ticket that has a Christian on it and on which they are not represented.
“It is our belief that Northern Muslims would have seen the justice in a Muslim-Christian ticket and would have given it their overwhelming support had the party been inclined to do so.
“Sadly, the party chose to go the divisive line.
“A corollary to this mindset is that Christians should also not vote for a ticket on which there are no Christians.”
On his part, Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said Nigeria is at a dangerous crossroad if an important issue like religion is not properly balanced to reflect the interest of all parties in the country.
He described Tinubu’s decision as a “fatal error of judgment”.
“I do not want to speak to the argument that there is no Christian competent enough to be vice-president because as we all know, that is hogwash,” he said.
“As long as God remains the God of justice, may we continue to resist injustice to our sinews, no matter who is for or against it because it is the requirement of the just God.
“Let us go out from this summit with the resolve to seek out our Muslim brothers and sisters who believe in unifying our people in order to usher in the much needed peace and advancement for Nigeria to unleash her true potentials.
“I am sure we will jointly agree on a platform that would advance our collective search for unity, peace, and development. Believe me, the only alternative is the road to Yugoslavia.
“God forbid! If we want to see Nigeria exalted, we must insist she does the right things.”
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