Abuja—Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential election will be resisted with prayers.
According to the Cable, Lawal said this at the APC northern Christian leaders summit on Friday.
Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, picked Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno who is also a Muslim, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
The development elicited outrage from key stakeholders, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Commenting again on the issue, Lawal said: “Clearly, there is an agenda to politically, religiously, and economically suppress and oppress northern Christians. 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.”
Lawal said the agenda of the Muslim-Muslim ticket is just unfolding, adding that Christians will resist it.
“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 is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented,” he said.
“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.
“We see this ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational, economic and political marginalization of the Northern Nigerian Christians.
“This scenario is what we find in all agencies of governments in the north. Therefore, we view this Muslim Muslim ticket as an extension of this practice of exclusion to the uppermost level of government.
“Christians all over the country see this Muslim Muslim ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench religion into the politics of this country.
“This, of course, will lead to further disharmony in the hitherto fragile coexistence of the Nigerian society, disrupt peace and hamper both social and economic development of the country.”
Similarly, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has also kicked against the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC.
Dogara conveyed his displeasure on Friday at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit.
Dogara said it is hogwash to assert that no Christian is competent to be Tinubu’s running mate.
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The former speaker said the ticket would create disunity in the party and the country at large.
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 need 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.”
Elisha Abbo, a serving Adamawa senator, Solomon Dalung, a former minister of youths and sports, were also present at the event.
