A top ally of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Richard Akinnola, on Thursday described those supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket for Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as “dishonest”.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Akinnola, a lawyer and journalist, stated that religion and ethnicity “have been pronounced” since 1993, adding that it is “strange” seeing some Nigerians taking sides with a Muslim-Muslim ticket position.
“Since the June 12, 1993 election, things have gone so bad in our national politics. Our fault lines -religion and ethnicity, have been more pronounced. Anyone can live in denial for political exigencies. It’s not by accident that the issue of race is at the front burner of the US politics, just like that of ethnicity and religion are in the front burner of our politics,” Akinnola wrote on his Facebook page.
“I believe we live in strange times where people who had written in the past against discriminatory cut-off marks for Unity schools and Jamb, suddenly rationalise Muslim/Muslim ticket; the same people , some who are Christians from the south, would establish a company but would still go up north to look for a notable northerner to be the Chairman of the company for the purpose of balance, would now suddenly make a somersault by rationalising the same faith presidential ticket for political expediency. Interesting times we live. Anyone who says religion and ethnicity don’t matter in our national politics is being very dishonest.
“While l concede the right of anyone to justify a presidential Muslim/Muslim ticket for the purpose of political correctness, l am irrevocably against a presidential Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian ticket. I don’t have any strength for any debate. I’m still on vacation.”
