All Progressives Congress’ (APC) choice of same faith ticket for the 2023 presidential election has been described as a suicide mission.
Supporters on the platform of the auspices of League of Concerned Christian Youth in the APC, yesterday, stated this at a press conference in Abuja.
They urged the party to reconsider its stance on the choice of Kashim Shettima and Governor Simon Lalong as vice-presidential candidate and Director-General of its campaign organisation, saying the party’s insistence on Muslim-Muslim ticket has caused untold disaffection in its ranks and file.
Secretary-General of the group, Dauda Yakubu, said the leadership of the APC must address the alleged marginalisation of christians in the party before September 20 slated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the final list of candidates for the 2023 presidential election.
He said selecting Shettima as running mate to Tinubu showed total insensitivity and lack of regard for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.
“It remains a known fact that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party has indeed caused untold disaffection in the ranks of the party, especially in the North East and the North Central states in the country. The choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC has indeed questioned the position of our great party on mutual respect for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.
“This is on the heels that the party elected to disregard the highly qualified and loyal party members from the North East and North Central region of Christian origin as vice presidential candidates of the party.
“This action was insensitive and a gross display of insensitivity and strategy by the party’s leadership. We must state that since the return of democracy in 1999, it has been the trend for ethnic and religious balancing of political positions to give all a sense of belonging in the Nigerian project.”
