By The ongoing search for the running mate for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu remains a major source of interest to many Nigerians.
The emergence of Tinubu, a Southern Muslim, as the APC flagbearer has stirred mixed reactions, with strong feelers that the ruling party is considering a Muslim Northerner to balance the ticket, premised on the argument that competence is more important than religion.
However, prominent Christian groups have kicked against move, describing it as an attempt to fuel religious tensions in the country.
In an open letter addressed to political parties, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said said it would take a Muslim-Muslim ticket as a declaration of war against the freedom of religion, the peace and security of the Nigerian state.
“With the crisis of religious fundamentalism and its mainstreaming into policymaking and administrative actions in Nigeria today, anything short of a Christian-Muslim or Muslim-Christian ticket is an undisguised effort to nurture religious conflicts and destabilize the country,” CAN said.
In the same vein, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria also issued a statement on Tuesday, advising political parties to shun the idea of fieling two Muslims as their presidential flagbearer and running mate.
“Ordinarily, there would have been nothing wrong with a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket in a democratic dispensation if there is mutual trust and respect for the human person and where the overriding desire for seeking political office is the fostering of the common good. But one cannot really say so of our country at the moment,” the statement read in part.
“The present glaring crisis and division in the nation, a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be most insensitive and a tacit endorsement of the negative voices of many non-state actors who have been threatening this nation’s unity and peaceful coexistence without an arrest.”
But for members of the APC, competence not religion should be considered when picking a running mate, as argued by Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. His Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma equally said the Nigerian constitution does not recognise religion as a factor for picking a running mate.
