Again, some prominent northern All Progressives Congress (APC) members on Friday declared that it would be a fight to finish on the presidential flagbearer’s choice of a Muslim from the northern part of the country.
They insisted on fighting the ruling party, hich Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu is the presidential candidate, saying, they would mobilise Nigerians, use the voters card and vote against APC.
The popular leaders in the APC from the northern part of the country are piqued and said, the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima was an error, a blunder and unacceptable, while they openly called on Nigerians to reject any ticket that was not mixed between Christians and Muslims during the 2023 elections.
The maintained that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is divisive to the contemporary Nigeria and should be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians.
They stated this at the APC Northern Christian Leaders’ Summit, in Abuja saying the insinuation that northern Muslims would not support a Christian running mate to Tinubu was untrue and divisive.
Those who spoke at the events are the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir Lawal, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara
former Minister of Youths and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung and Senator Elisha Abbo.
Engr. Lawal who chaired the occasion expressed shock and disbelief at how a grand conspiracy against northern Christians was been pursued by the APC.
He took the audience to historical perspectives saying: “Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced deputy governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna states. Now, it is wholly Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“It is worth noting that all these are happening in APC-controlled states. They are threatening to do likewise in Gombe, Kogi and Adamawa states.
“It is also now a recurring practice in the North whereby any Christian traditional ruler that dies is replaced with a Muslim prince, albeit from the ruling family even if the most qualified and preferred prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri Chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds.
“Proof of its anti-Christian agenda is that our party itself has completely eliminated northern Christians from its NWC (National Working Committee) and NEC (National Executive Committee). All our protestations as party members have been completely ignored by the party leadership.
“But as members of the APC, we have the right to continue to express our indignation at these happenings and will not give up until we secure the justice that is due us.
“The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for the APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a long-term political strategy and not a one-off decision. Thus, all this talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP candidate is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.
“One might ask: why is the APC itself mute about our rejection of this Muslim-Muslim ticket? And why has none of the other perpetrators of this crisis reached out to Christians for a dialogue? Why are they instead hiring fake bishops and taking church groups to further embarrass the church? Why are they embarking on a vicious media war against CAN and the church instead of seeking reconciliation? Truly, things are not adding up.”
“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.
“A corollary to this mindset is that Christians should also not vote for a ticket in which they are not accommodated. Unfortunately, this is the message we get loud and clear from this MM ticket.
“This is truly a wakeup call for all Nigerian Christians. We didn’t start this religious politics; the APC and its candidates did; so all of us should take note and act as appropriate.”
Lawal enjoined his colleagues in APC not to bother talking about the sanctimonious lectures on competence and the cliché of the religion of the candidates do not matter, the ex-SGF added, “The truth is that the 2023 presidential election will be all about religion, and sadly, you started it; religion does matter in this context, so be ready for the consequences.
“It is important to reiterate that we Nigerian Christians want to live in peace and harmony with all practitioners of other religions. We want to enjoy social and economic developments like other parts of the world but without peace, justice and religious harmony, this is not possible.
“On our part, we neither seek to oppress nor dominate any one or any religion. But we will also resist any one trying to discriminate against us and our religion. We were not the ones that started this fight. The APC started it and must be ready to carry the cross it has created. Blaming Christians and heaping insults on CAN will take them nowhere.
“For, how do they expect Christians to keep silent when a northern state governor publicly stated that they pressured Tinubu to get a northern Muslim VP because they did not believe him to be a good Muslim? Is the VP going to be the national deputy Imam? How do they expect us to keep silent when another northern state governor goes to Osun State and urges them to vote for someone just because he is a Muslim? Was he there for the election campaign or dawah? What can be a better example of religion in politics than demonstrated by these governors?
“Clearly, there is an agenda to politically, religiously and economically suppress and oppress the northern Christian. But we are up to the task. We will protect ourselves. The PVC and our prayers will be our weapons of choice and we will massively deploy them in 2023.
“But while we are ready to battle this politics of exclusion and oppression, we are open to discussions with anyone who wants to engage with us in good faith. As I always do, I want to end with this quotation from Romans 8:31, ‘What then shall we say in response to these things. If God is for us, who can be against us?’ May God bless and reward all our collective efforts at seeking to live in peace with one another in Nigeria, our blessed country.”
