Muslim-muslim, Christian-christian
ticket dangerous -Obasanjo OCTOBER 26, 2014 BY SAMUEL
AWOYINFA, ABEOKUTA 11 Comments Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo,
has said it is dangerous for any party or a
politician to toy with the idea of fielding
either a muslim-muslim or christian-
christian ticket, given the current
happenings in the polity. He said this on Sunday, in a statement
issued in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a copy of
which was made available to our
correspondent. He called for sensitivity and vigilance on
the part of the leadership. He said, “It will be insensitive to the
point of absurdity for any leader or
any political party to be toying with
Muslim- muslim or Christian-christian
ticket at this juncture. “Nigeria cannot at this stage raise the
spectre and fear of Islamisation or
Christianisation. “The idea of proselytisation in any form
is a grave danger that must not be
contemplated by any serious-minded
politician at this delicate situation in
Nigeria, as this time is different from any
other time.” According to him, sensitivity is a
necessary ingredient for enhancement of
peace, security and stability at this point
in the political discourse
and arrangement for Nigeria and for
encouraging confidence and trust. He explained that disregarding the fact
that there were fears that needed to
be allayed at this point would amount
not only to insensitivity of the highest
order but would also amount to very bad
politics indeed.

Our votes are for GEJ.
We must stand and defend what we believe in.

Buhari also have this to say....
Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state, says he is keeping an open mind about the possibility of picking a Muslim as his running mate if he gets the presidential nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The issue of Muslim-Muslim
ticket is seen as a potential
setback for the APC in the
election because of the
increasingly political nature of
religion in recent years. Buhari, in particular, is perceived
as an extremist and his likely
combination with another
Muslim for the presidential
election is considered in some
quarters as too sensitive. But in an interview with
TheCable, Buhari, a retired
major-general, said he had
demonstrated to Nigerians that
he is not a fundamentalist and
“there is nothing more I can do”. He said: “Nigerians will always
uncover impossible room for
manoeuvre for politicians. I had
to face one of the governors
during one of our party’s
meetings [over the issue of religion]. “In 2003, I chose Chuba
Okadigbo as my running mate.
He was a Roman Catholic. He
was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked
Edwin Ume-Ezeoke. He was a
Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a
pastor. Pastor Tunde Bakare. “Honestly, what do Nigerians
want me to do? If they don’t
believe I’m not a
fundamentalist, what else can I
do?” He likened his situation to that
of Moshood Abiola, a southern
Muslim, who picked Babagana
Kingibe, a northern Muslim, as
running mate in the 1993
presidential election. The Muslim-Muslim ticket went
on to win an election that is still
considered by many as the most
credible in Nigeria’s history. “I have not absolutely closed my
mind to picking a Christian or
Muslim as running mate if I get
the ticket. Because I firmly
believe that Nigerians, having
gone through what they have gone through, realise it is not a
matter of religion, but a matter
of Nigeria. “And the main religions,
Christianity and Islam, they
know and they believe in the
almighty God. The question of
stealing and short-changing
people in the name of religion should stop,” he said. He made reference to the 1961
northern house of assembly
election, when Ibrahim Imam, a
Kanuri Muslim from Borno, won
an election to represent Tivland,
a Catholic domain in the middle belt, after being sponsored by
Joseph Tarka, the leading Tiv
politician then. “This new phenomenon of
religion is another blackmail
political confusionists in Nigeria
are bringing to the fore,” he
said. He also said religion cannot be
an issue if he wins APC’s ticket
and goes ahead to win the
presidential election, because of
the background of many political
leaders from the south-west. The wives of Bola Tinubu, APC
national leader; Oyo governor,
Abiola Ajimobi; Lagos governor,
Babatunde Fashola; Ogun
governor, Ibikunle Amosun; and
former APC interim chairman, Bisi Akande, are all Christians,
Buhari pointed out. “For goodness sake, the children
of these political leaders were
bred and brought up by Christian
mothers. You think those
people, wherever they
participate, they will bring a religious issue? What kind of
people are we? Nigerians will
always bring something to cause
confusion while we are trying to
stabilise the system,” he said. Fashola, a Muslim, is one of
those touted to be his running
mate, although TheCable also
reported recently that former
attorney-general of Lagos, Yemi
Osinbajo, a professor of law and a pastor in the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, is being
considered as well. Rotimi Amaechi, governor of
Rivers state, is also on the cards.