The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Abdullahi Adamu said Thursday that the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 elections is a positive development for the country’s politics.
The APC chairman said this while briefing State House correspondents on Thursday, after he led the presidential candidate of the party Bola Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima to see President Muhammadu Buhari in his office in Abuja.
“Yes, we have been hearing concerns being expressed. In the APC, we believe very strongly, that no matter what description, no matter what faith you will associate with any one of our candidates, we are first and foremost Nigerians.
“There is no doubt in the fact that we have people who stock trade on some of these religious issues. Just like you have people expressing fears, or concerns about a Muslim-Muslim ticket, there are Christians that welcome it as a positive development, in Nigerian politics. They are Nigerians,” he said.
The APC chairman said the party recognises the concerns and would put them to rest before the election which is seven months away.
“We are extremely sensitive to some of these sensitivities of fellow Nigerians or fellow members of our party. But the fact of the matter is, one issue does not determine a candidate or determine victory.
“The party has taken a very careful deep look at the Nigerian situation and the political space. And we believe very strongly that notwithstanding the expression that we’re hearing, we will be working on amicable solutions to the sentiment and we’re very sure by the grace of God we’ll put them to rest before the elections,” he said.
Also speaking, the vice presidential candidate, Kadhim Shettima, said the same-faith arguments were the machinations of a petrified opposition.
Citing the Ribadu-Bafarawa presidential ticket of the Action Congress of Nigerian in the 2011 general elections, Shettima urged Nigerians to focus on issues and not the faith of the candidates.
“In 2011, the presidential candidate and the vice-presidential candidate of the ACN. Both of them were Muslims. Nobody raised an eyebrow. Now, the opposition have seen a winning combination and they are petrified, deep down to the marrow of their bones.
“We will not trade in insults, lies and mischief. We have established a track record of excellence. Let our opponents show what they have done in their respective states. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s discuss issues.
“How to propel this nation to greatness is much more important than playing on the sentiments of Nigerians. Poverty knows no religion or ethnicity. Insecurity knows no religion or ethnicity,” he said.
