Muslim-Muslim ticket: CAN kicks against Tinubu’s choice of Shettima as running mate

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has kicked against the decision of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to select former governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

Tinubu had during a visit to the President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura on Sunday announced Shettima, a Muslim, as his running mate, a decision that not gone down well with the umbrella body of Christians in the country.

Reacting to the development, CAN’s spokesperson, Adebayo Oladeji, said making such a decision in a polarised country was a wrong move.

He stated, in an interview with Punch, that if having a pastor as the vice president of the country and Christian clerics and worshipers are being killed , the security of lives and properties of Christians under a Muslim-Muslim could not be guaranteed.

Oladeji warned that Nigerians should be ready to face the consequences of their actions if they endorsed and vote for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“We knew this was what he was going to do and we have warned against it. It is up to Nigerians to decide on what they want,” he said.

“You are all alive when we warned Buhari not to allow Muslims to dominate the security architecture of the country and he did it. I think we can see the way the criminals are operating with impunity.

“So, if Tinubu says he is opting for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a polarised country like ours , if Nigerians endorse him and vote for him, whatever happens, Nigerians will face the consequences.

“If you have a government where a pastor is a vice president and pastors and worshipers are being killed you can imagine what will happen when we have a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“It is left to Nigerians to make their choice, let them vote them in and we will all face the consequences together.

“We are raising our alarm. It is an irony that Buhari they regarded as an extremist when we raised an alarm to warn him against a Muslim-Muslim ticket, he heeded and opted for a christian as his vice presidential candidate. ”

In a related development, the Niger State chapter of CAN has declared that it will not encourage Christians to vote for any political party that fields same faith for the 2023 governorship election.

The state CAN Chairman, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohana who made this known after an emergency meeting with State Executive members, Local Government Coordinators, Bloc and other leaders held at the State Secretariat in Minna said Christians had been marginalised in the past adding that it is now time to take a decisive stand.

“As equal stakeholders in Niger state who are concerned about the development of the state, we are ready to mobilize all Christians not to support and vote for any Political Party that undermines us to present a same faith ticket for the forthcoming general elections,” the Chairman declared.

In a statement by his Media Aide, Daniel Atori, the Chairman also remarked, “we have resolved to allow equity, justice and fairness to play out. We are aware that there have been so many arguments as to the population of Christians in the state; Well, democracy is said to be a game of numbers and the next elections will surely show our position.

“We call on all eligible Nigerlites especially Christians to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) so as to participate in the 2023 general elections if you truly want to effect positive change.

“If Niger State must be rescued, then Christians both in the rural and urban areas must wake up and do the needful. We need to arm ourselves with our PVCs and this is the time to make all necessary efforts to do so and also come out and vote,”he remarked.

Bishop Yohanna said , “all we are telling political parties is that with our voters’ cards, we will sway votes towards the party that respect Christians in the state.”

The CAN Executive had few weeks ago met with executive members of both All Progressives Congress,(APC) and that of Peoples’ Democratic Party,(PDP) on the need for them to consider Chritians as their deputies.

The PDP Govermorsip Candidate, Alhaji Isah Liman Kantigi picked a Christian- Samuel Gomna as his running mate which was endorsed by the Party in the state while APC Governorship candidate, Alhaji Umar Bago has picked a Muslim and incumbent state NLC Chairman, Comrade Yakubu Garba as his running mate which has also been endorsed by his Party.