The South-East Youth and Elders Forum has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to jettison plans of a ‘Muslim-Muslim’ Ticket, POLITICS NIGERIA has learned.
In a statement sent to this newspaper on Thursday, signed by Mazi Uche Ngene, Director of Media and Publicity, Southeast Youths and Elders Forum, the group called for ‘Religious balancing’.
They also called on the 2023 Presidential Flagbearer of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to select the Secretary-General to the Federation, Boss Mustapha as his running mate.
The Statement read in part; “We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the maintenance of peace and order across the length and breadth of the country without any room for divisive elements to have their way as well as the creation of a peaceful environment for the inflow of Foreign Direct Investments in to the country.”
“We commend the leadership of the various political parties for the successful conduct of their primaries and nomination of their respective candidates for next year’s general elections.”
“However, we have noted with great concern the ongoing needless debate on the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC over who becomes it’s running mate for next year’s Presidential election.”
“We are at a loose to say the least that those promoting the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket do not wish the country well especially now that the country is divided along ethnic and religious fault lines. That if the nation’s security agencies have not been able to defeat the high level of insecurity in the land due to it’s ethnic dimensions, we wonder what the nation would be should the various agitations and crimes in the land assume religious dimension?”
“That no faith or religion has the monopoly of credible persons who has the capacity to serve as running mate to the Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, if merit should be the yardstick for nominating anyone.”
“That both Christians and Muslims are endowed with qualified and credible persons for the office of the President and the Vice President alike, but since the Presidential Candidate of the ruling party, Senator Bola Tinubu is already a Muslim, equity, fairness and justice demand that a Christian should be nominated as his running mate.”
“That it amounts to the violation of logic and abuse of inter-religious harmony to state that only muslims have credible persons to serve as Presidential and running mate for the ruling All Progressives Congress.”
The group listed the following conditions for peace, equity and justice;
1. That all political parties including the ruling All Progressives Congress should consider religious balancing in choosing who becomes their presidential candidates and running mates as well.
2. That if we are given the opportunity to make recommendations to the ruling APC, we will gladly recommend the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha for his patriotic services to the nation and his ability to galvanize votes for the ruling party next year.
3. That we arrived at the choice of Mr. Mustapha because of his non-denominational and diplomatic prowess and capacity to relate with both Christian and Muslim community not only at the nominal level but at a deeper level; especially at the national inter-religious council level which is the highest decision making body for all faiths in the country.
4. That Boss Mustapha has enough national and international goodwill which is an intangible asset to galvanize supports and votes for the APC next year and beyond.
5. That APC should consider the peace and stability of the country in deciding who it picks as running mate for Tinubu because democracy is not all about election but about what happens after elections.
6. That if we divide the people along religious lines because we want to win election, we will find it difficult to bring them together after the election.That’s why the Social Democratic Party, SDP and it’s flag bearer, late Chief MKO Abiola won the election but couldn’t form the government was because of the similar things the country is currently passing through.
7. That the leadership and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress are advised to pay close attention to our resolutions before it becomes too late.
