CHRISTIANS of Northern extraction in the All Progressive Congress (APC) have said they can no longer campaign for the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, because of his choice of a Muslim running mate.

They made this position known in a communiqué issued to journalists, on Tuesday, following an emergency meeting of the group in Abuja where the issue of the religious colouration of the APC’s presidential ticket and its implication for the nation was on the front burner.

According to the communiqué jointly signed by Prof. Doknan Sheni (Chairman) and
General Ishaya Bauka (Secretary), the group explained that Tinubu’s selection of a Muslim running mate had exasperated the Christians in the North, and portrayed the APC as a party that is insensitive to their yearnings.

It warned that if the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima as the party’s vice presidential resident candidate is not reversed before July 15, there would be serious and grave consequences.

The communiqué read, “The christian politicians in the nineteen (19) Northern States within APC met in Abuja to deliberate on the issue of the party’s Muslim – Muslim president and vice president candidates and the implications for the nation.

“The meeting decided as follows: that as Christians within APC, we cannot in all fairness to our consciences and our faith go to our various constituencies to campaign for a Muslim – Muslim ticket.

“Nigeria is a multi religious and a constitutional democracy and NOT a theocracy. The current political atmosphere of the nation is different from what occurred in 1993 and therefore a Moslem-Moslem ticket is unacceptable.

“The selection of a Moslem vice presidential candidate portrayed insensitivity to the Christians in the Nation

“The fear of the Christians in the north and the nation in general is that the APC party will be viewed as an Islamic party, and that the Muslim – Muslim ticket was not possible in 2015, why should it be possible in 2023?

“More so, that we are apprehensive that the person picked might have had a hand in the Chibok girls’ saga and other terror activities.

“Muslim – Muslim ticket would undermine the election chances of Christians candidates in APC in the various states in the North.

“The Christians in the north and the whole nation are highly aggravated, considering that the chairman of the party is a Muslim, deputy chairman (North) is a Muslim, the president of the Senate is a Muslim, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are Muslims, and now both the presidential and vice presidential candidates are Muslims.

“Apart from this violating the constitution section 14 subsection 3, if this was to be reversed that all these were Christians, can any Muslim in the North be able to sell the APC presidential tickets to any Muslim Ummah?

“If this selection of a Muslim Vice President candidate is not changed, there will be serious and grave consequences.

“At this moment of national peril, what should be paramount in Nigeria is unity and not infrastructure or economy. For without unity we cannot build.

“Any party or candidate that elevates the greed of a few above the needs of the many has no business running the affairs of Nigeria.”

BigSarah:
Christians learn from the South East.

Please Christians support Tinubu, if Tinubu wins without Christians vote, that'll be the worst thing to happen to Christians in Nigeria.

One year into his administration Christians will be called wailers, Miscreants etc.
Then Christians will be called terrorists, and even Christianity proscribed sef.

Don't say you weren't advised..

BigSarah:
Christians learn from the South East.

Please Christians support Tinubu, if Tinubu wins without Christians vote, that'll be the worst thing to happen to Christians in Nigeria.

One year into his administration Christians will be called wailers, Miscreants etc.
Then Christians will be called terrorists, and even Christianity proscribed sef.

Don't say you weren't advised..

Great2017:

You only view things from one perspective. What if Tinubu loses?

Great2017:

You only view things from one perspective. What if Tinubu loses?

Great2017:

You only view things from one perspective. What if Tinubu loses?

BigSarah:


Muslims will arise and defend their faith , this is a golden opportunity to fulfill the Koran, and uplift Islam in Nigeria .

I don't see Tinubu loosing if they milk this Islam thing well

LegendHero:
Nice one from these groups.

It is your right to come out to vent your anger on the ticket. This is democracy and you have every right to be angry.

However, in the game of numbers and decision analysis, most Northern Christians usually give their votes to the PDP and historical data also shows this. Which means that Tinubu already foresaw that there will be withdrawal and realignment, it is already factored in the numbers.

With North being Muslim majority, it will be sure defeat for Tinubu if he had chose a minority Christian as VP. These outburst by CAN/Northern Christians could even have a resultant effect where the average Muslim in the North that won’t vote Tinubu before might be swayed by religious sentiment to make a statement about their numbers in the North.

We welcome more of this outburst, and I hope you can keep the momentum till next year because sentiment analysis shows that Nigerians generally can’t keep up the pace for long.

LegendHero:
Nice one from these groups.

It is your right to come out to vent your anger on the ticket. This is democracy and you have every right to be angry.

However, in the game of numbers and decision analysis, most Northern Christians usually give their votes to the PDP and historical data also shows this. Which means that Tinubu already foresaw that there will be withdrawal and realignment, it is already factored in the numbers.

With North being Muslim majority, it will be sure defeat for Tinubu if he had chose a minority Christian as VP. These outburst by CAN/Northern Christians could even have a resultant effect where the average Muslim in the North that won’t vote Tinubu before might be swayed by religious sentiment to make a statement about their numbers in the North.

We welcome more of this outburst, and I hope you can keep the momentum till next year because sentiment analysis shows that Nigerians generally can’t keep up the pace for long.

gentlegenius:

What makes Tinubu a very dangerous option for Nigeria is not even his choice of running mate, not his age or health, not his controversial source of wealth or missing certificates. It is his desperation.
For a man who bought his way to the party ticket, even when he wasn't the choice of the party leaders, and believe he will buy his way to the presidency - the position he openly described as his lifelong ambition, it is clear that Tinubu won't be a leader, but an office holder/title holder. He just want a chance to control the country just like he controlled Lagos. Leadership is far from Tinubu. He is just pursuing the office.
"Leadership is not something you purse. It is something you discover.
Leaders are born when a human discover something more important than their personal ambition". - Dr. Myles Munroe.

Great2017:

You mean Muslims will vote for a true Muslim - Atiku. Even at that, learn to view things from all perspective even when the odd is against them. In life, anything can happen.

madridguy:
I hope when he eventually win without Christian vote no one will be crying of Islamization of Nigeria.

BigSarah:


I believed that in 2019, now while I'm hopeful, I'm also extra realistic