A former governor of Edo State and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has thrown his weight behind the decision of the ruling party to fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
Oshiomhole said despite the country having a Muslim as president and a Christian as vice president, “it hasn’t translated to anything”, adding: “As we speak, we have a balanced ticket (Muslim-Christian), where has it translated to?”
The former governor said Nigerians should concentrate on competence and courage of candidates to tackle the challenges bedevilling the country and shun primordial sentiments such as religion and ethnicity.
He made this known while speaking on TVC on Thursday.
Reactions have trailed the choice of a Muslim running mate by the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who nominated former governor of Borno State, Sen. Kashim Shettima, leading to a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
However, Oshiomhole, who commended Tinubu for choosing Shettima as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election, described the nomination as a “balanced ticket” for the APC.
He said Tinubu’s track record and Shettima’s impressive qualities would secure victory for the ruling party in the 2023 polls.
The former governor said: “The more opposition party joined the Muslim-Muslim debate, the more I’m satisfied that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s decision is right.
“We need courage. We have struggled to balance this religious issues in recent years. Tinubu’s decision shows that he will take bold step when elected.
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“If the number of churches and mosques we have built over the years is equal to number of factories, we won’t be at this poverty level in the country.
“We can’t continue with business as usual. I’m satisfied with the quality of Shettima. He is well-read and well-exposed. He is well awarded both at home and abroad.
“We should spend time interrogating the personality, competence of Tinubu’s nominee. Soon, pagans will organise themselves to say otherwise too.
“It is a balanced ticket; balanced ticket in terms of competence, and their antecedents. The opposition party is threatened by this bold decision because they are sensing defeat,” Oshiomhole stated.
The former APC national chairman further dismissed insinuations that Tinubu would Islamise the country with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He stressed that the APC presidential candidate didn’t Islamise his family members, adding that Tinubu has demonstrated religious tolerance by allowing his wife to practice her own faith.
“What are the fears of people making this comment? They are saying there are plans to Islamise Nigerians. The candidate himself, has he Islamised his own family members? His wife is a Christian and a pastor. Our presidential candidate is a happily married man.
He has demonstrated religious tolerance by the fact that his own wife is practising her own faith. How can a man who allowed freedom of worship in his home Islamise the country?” Oshiomhole said.
