Tag: Muslim-Muslim Ticket

  • Retaining Presidency In North Is Bad As Muslim-Muslim Ticket, Says Wike

    Retaining Presidency In North Is Bad As Muslim-Muslim Ticket, Says Wike

    Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has told those who say that Nigeria is not ripe for muslim-muslim ticket not to also justify and embrace the efforts at retaining the presidency in the North.

    Governor Wike spoke on Sunday at the special dedication service for the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 General Election Campaigns Rallies, which held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt.

    Governor Wike maintained that those involved in such double-speak and trying to hoodwink some gullible few, know that they are insulting the sensibility of well meaning Nigerians who want a united country that advances national cohesion.

    “You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for muslim-muslim ticket, I agree. But Nigeria is ripe for presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, just look at the insult. You blow hot and cold.”

    Governor Wike urged those people who delightfully condemn the muslim-muslim ticket as wrong, should also know that Nigerians are also saying it is wrong to retain the presidency in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Most of you just sit there, you don’t ask yourselves questions. Somebody continues to sell this kind of cheap ideas. You don’t ask the person, I agree with what you are saying but look at what we are saying here.”

    He further added, “Your party wants the presidency to go to the same zone where president Muhammadu Buhari is coming from. Who is cheating who?”

    The Rivers State governor also spoke reminding the church of the need for it to participate in the voting process. However, he said, it should not get involved to the extent of serving as cannon fodder against any political party or political actor.

    Governor Wike pleaded with the church to be careful and resist those politicians who come to mobilise them as if there is a religious war to wage.

    “It is not now that politics have come, you want to come and tell the church a different story for your own personal interest. We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because, all of us, for example, we are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that.”

    Meanwhile, governor Wike has warned that his administration will not allow those who in the past instigated wanton destruction of lives and property in the State under the guise of politics to repeat same.

    Governor Wike appealed to members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the State to resist deliberate attempt by some disgruntled and inconsequential politicians to provoke them ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    He described as ludicrous and cheap blackmail the allegation by Dr. Abiye Sekibo and some of his associates that the State government recently resent thugs to attack them.

    “Some people are saying we sent thugs to attack them. You see, when people see failure, they will begin to plan excuses. These are people all of us know our background and how we have won election in our various local government. I remember one of them during the last election could not even go to his local government. He ran down to Port Harcourt and stayed with me. Instead of you to tell your principal, this will be difficult for me, you are giving excuses.”

    The governor who emphatically declared that he has never engaged in any acts of political violence in all his political career, warn those who might be planning to plunge the State into chaos to have a rethink.

    “Anybody who knows me know, that I have never been violent. If I am violent, I won’t go to court. But we know those who planted killings in this State when they were Secretary to government. We know them, but that killing will not happen again in the State. We will not give you the opportunity to try it again.”

    Governor Wike explained that the reason why Dr Sekibo and his associates are begrudging him is simply because he did not support their ambition to emerge to get the PDP governorship ticket.

    On the issue of Executive Order 21 and 22, the governor advised politicians in the State to approach the court rather than take the laws into their hands. He insisted that until the court declares otherwise, the government will ensure full implementation of the orders.

    “The Federal Government has come up with so many Executive Orders, we didn’t kill anybody, but we went to court to challenge such others. The Federal Government has done a lot of things that Rivers state had challenged in court, and by the grace of God, we won.

    “If there is anything any government has done which you feel you are not comfortable with, you have to go to court and challenge it, and not just to come out to shout they don’t want you to campaign. Why will anybody not like you to campaign.”

    Governor Wike declared that there was nothing wrong with the PDP dragging other political parties to court over their failure to comply with Independent National Electoral Commission electoral guidelines. According to him, sure litigations are part of Nigeria’s electoral process.

    “When I know you have made mistake not to run an election, I should leave you? All we are saying is INEC comply with the law. You made us to comply with the law. Why are these people not complying with the law. Why should you allow us to pass through the process we passed through and you did not allow these other people to pass through that process. We said look, this is what the law says. INEC is like you are being partial . It is like you are applying this law differently to different persons.”

    In his sermon, the cathedral archdeacon of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Venerable Obinna Ochulor spoke on the topic; “God our refuge” and exhorted the congregation to acknowledge the infallibility of God always.

    He pointed to how people often rush to the altar of God to make vows when they are either experiencing critical situation but would refuse to return to fulfil them when they have triumphed.

    While vows are important to be fulfilled, he admonished the congregation and particularly the PDP family to trust in God as their defence and shield so that they can enjoy his protection against all shades of evil.

  • Muslim-Muslim Ticket: I Understand Our Worries Because I’m Also A Christian – Gov Akeredolu

    Muslim-Muslim Ticket: I Understand Our Worries Because I’m Also A Christian – Gov Akeredolu

    Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), says like millions of Christians in the country, he is also worried about the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress.

    The governor spoke on Sunday at the 40th Holy Ghost Convention Dinner of The Sword of the Spirit Ministries held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Agbawo, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

    “I discussed with Bishop Francis Wale Oke that presidency must come to the South. Take it or leave it, it is the minimum we can get. It must come to the South. The North cannot produce President for eight years and still want to retain it for another eight years. It is not going to work.

    “That is why under the Southern Governors’ Forum, where, luckily, God made me the chairman, kept hammering on that. It must come to the South. And when it also got to our party in APC, we fought that it must come to the South.

    “Luckily, it did not only come to South, it came to the South West. Now, where do we stand? I understand our feelings because I’m one of you. I am a Christian. All of us here are worried. What will be our gain, and that, why is my party, the APC throwing up a Muslim/Muslim ticket?” he said, according to a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde.

    APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, had selected former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate. His decision to run alongside a Muslim like himself was met with stark criticisms from the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria led by Oke.

    Akeredolu said the struggle for the President of Nigeria to come from the Southern part of the country in 2023 should not be in vain.

    The Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, said the North cannot retain power after spending eight years in office.

    “It has been a real issue for all of us. Even members of the party, it has been an issue for us. We have debated it, fought it and we have done so many things about it. I have always said to people, my fight was for Southern President,” he said.

    The governor pleaded with Christians to look beyond religion and focus on the competency of Tinubu and Shettima.

    Akeredolu added, “Now it has come to the South West, will I now throw the baby away with the bathwater? Can I, in all honesty, do it? Should I, in all honesty, do it?

    “We call it a matter of coincidence. It is a matter of conscience. All of us are here, why don’t we look at it from one angle? The buck stops on the table of the President. Do we have a capable hand who can manage the affairs if given the opportunity? Do you have a man who is bold enough to challenge incursion into our land? That is it.

    “All of us here have lived together for years and we didn’t allow religion to bring fight among us. We have Muslims in our families and there is no fight. We have many leaders in Yoruba land who have both Muslims and Christians in their families and there is no fight.

    “So, we want to appeal to our people that this is our time. I want to appeal to all our senior Pastors and General Overseers to help talk to their followers. We politicians can only do little. This is our time, please don’t be angry.”

  • 2023: Muslim-Muslim Ticket Suicide Mission, APC Christian Youth Warns

    2023: Muslim-Muslim Ticket Suicide Mission, APC Christian Youth Warns

    Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the auspices of League of Concerned Christian Youth in the APC have said the party is on a suicide mission for sticking to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 elections.

    The group said on Tuesday, Septemeber 6, that the decision by the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to choose Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate portrayed the party in a bad light before Nigerians.

    The convener of the APC-LCCY, Patrick Maiyaki, during a media briefing, stressed the need for the leadership of the party to substitute Shettima with a Christian, saying it would guarantee victory for the party in next year poll.

    Maiyaki said: “It is our considered opinion that the leadership of the party must come to terms with the reality that is fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the presidential elections would be a suicide mission that must be aborted as soon as practicable if the APC is desirous of electoral success at the presidential election.

    “The implication of the APC losing the presidential election cannot be overemphasized, hence the need for the party’s leadership to act with utmost honesty and sincerity of heart and purpose to realize that the Muslim-Muslim Ticket would work against the party in the presidential elections.

    “As a group, we believe all hope is not lost as the chances of the APC would be bolstered should the leadership of the party effect a change in the composition of the party’s presidential Ticket.”

    According to him, the fact that Nigerians have randomly rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket before the election indicates that the outcome of the presidential elections would not be any different.

    He said: “We wish to state that the APC is blessed with an array of Christian candidates that can complement the presidential Ticket with the utmost respect to the vice presidential candidate of the party, Senator Kashim Shettima.

    “We are therefore using this medium to appeal to the leadership of the party to take advantage of the opportunity to make a replacement for the vice presidential candidate of the party before the expiration of the deadline issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “It behoves the party’s leadership to act before the 20th of September when the Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to publish the final list of presidential candidates for the 2023 presidential elections.

    “As concerned stakeholders of the party, our support for the party remains unflinching. This much we have exhibited on numerous forums, conferences and other public engagements across the country. Our emphasis remains on how to win the elections for the party.”

    The agitation came 24 hours after a coalition of stakeholders of the party from the North East and North Central demanded that the APC should revisit its choice of Shettima and Governor Simon Lalong as vice-presidential candidate and Director-General of its campaign organisation.

    The Secretary-General of the APC stakeholders, Dauda Yakubu, said the leadership of the APC must address the alleged marginalisation of christians in the party before September 20, slated by Independent National Electoral Commission to publish the final list of candidates for presidential election.

    Yakubu said the choice of Shettima as running mate to Tinubu amounted to insensitivity and utter disrespect for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.

  • Gov Lalong Apologises to Catholic Bishops for Dragging Pope into Nigerian Politics

    Gov Lalong Apologises to Catholic Bishops for Dragging Pope into Nigerian Politics

    Plateau state Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, on Friday, tendered apologies to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over his unguarded remarks about the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in which he dragged the name of the Catholic Pontiff into the murky waters of APC politics of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

    In a letter signed by him, Lalong admitted that it was an error on his part to have linked the Pope with Nigeria’s politics, and begged for forgiveness and understanding from the Catholic Church through the Bishops’ conference.

    In the letter addressed to President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, titled ‘Letter of Apology’ and dated August 12, 2022, Lalong restated his commitment to the Catholic faith, and promised to continue to uphold the banner of the Christian faith in public life.

    The letter reads; “I have followed with some shock and deep regret, the reactions that have trailed my appointment as the Director-General of the Campaign Council for the Presidential Candidates of our party, the All Progressive Congress(APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Ibrahim Shettima.

    “The appointment, understandably was received with mixed reactions across the Christian community who genuinely feel aggrieved by the decision of our party to settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

    “While many people commended me for the appointment and saw it as a way of remaining within the system to fight for our own interests, others cast aspersions on it on the grounds that our faith had been insulted and denigrated.

    “In the course of this, many of my opponents turned the issue into a political weapon with some spreading rumours and questioning the integrity of my credentials as a Catholic and a Papal Knight.

    “In trying to make my case, I have granted interviews to justify why I believe that the appointment did not in any way undermine my commitment to the Catholic Church.

    “During the week, in the course of defending myself, I had cause to make reference to my credentials as a Catholic and a Papal Knight. In the process, I made reference to the Holy Father.

    “I now realise that this was an error on my part and has caused some level of concern and even embarrassment to many, especially the Members of the family of Papal Knights to which I belong.

    “I now understand that I may have overreached myself in the course of trying to defend my personal decision in accepting this appointment and thus, the reference to the Holy Father was not intended as an act of disrespect to his exalted and revered office.

    “Your Grace, by this written letter, I wish to tender my unreserved apologies and ask for their understanding and forgiveness from my brothers in the Catholic faith and, through you, the entire members of the Bishops’ Conference, our Fathers and our Leaders.

    “My commitment to the Catholic faith to which I belong remains unreserved and undiluted. I will continue to uphold the banner of my faith in public life as I have done over the years.

    “You may recall, Your Grace that in the last five or so years, I have been at the forefront of facilitating our dialogue as politicians with you our fathers in the faith. I remain committed to this and pray that you will continue to encourage us as we ascend the slippery slope of politics.”

    The Governor also solicited for “episcopal blessings.”

  • Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Babachir Lawal Asks Voters To Reject Tinubu

    Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Babachir Lawal Asks Voters To Reject Tinubu

    Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has called on Nigerians not to vote for any ticket that is not mixed between Christians and Muslims during the 2023 elections.

    Lawal said the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 poll will be resisted with prayers and Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

    The APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu picked Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno who’s also a Muslim, as his running mate, a development that elicited outrage from key stakeholders, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

    Commenting on this at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit in Abuja, Lawal claimed there is an agenda to suppress and oppress the Northern Christians.

    “We will protect ourselves. The PVC and our prayers will be our weapons of choice and we will massively deploy them in 2023.”

    “The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for The APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a long-term political strategy and not a one-off decision. Thus, all this talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.

    “One might ask: why is the APC itself mute about our rejection of this Muslim Muslim ticket? And why has none of the other perpetrators of this crisis reached out to Christians for a dialogue? Why are they instead hiring fake Bishops and taking church groups to further embarrass the Church? Why are they embarking on a vicious media war against CAN and the Church instead of seeking reconciliation? Truly, things are not adding up.

    “We see this ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational, economic and political marginalization of the Northern Nigerian Christians.

    “This scenario is what we find in all agencies of governments in the north. Therefore, we view this Muslim Muslim ticket as an extension of this practice of exclusion to the uppermost level of government.”

  • Muslim-Muslim Ticket is a Plot to Make Christians Second-Class Citizens — New CAN President

    Muslim-Muslim Ticket is a Plot to Make Christians Second-Class Citizens — New CAN President

    The new president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh has said that the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress is a plot to make Christians second-class citizens in the country.

    In his acceptance speech in Abuja after the General Assembly of CAN validated his election, Okoh said the fear was borne out of the recent happenings in the country.

    He also said that it is coming at a time when Christian leaders believe that some section of political leaders are not sensitive to the diverse nature of our population when certain decisions are being made.

    The new CAN President also called on President Buhari to end the bloodletting, kidnapping and general insecurity in all the geo-political zones of the country.

    Okoh said;

    “While thanking the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), for his efforts to combat terrorism and banditry, I would like to appeal to His Excellency to end the bloodletting, kidnapping and general insecurity in all the geo-political zones of the country.

    “I believe that government can do more to secure the lives and property given all the modern technology within its reach.

    “Many Christians feel and have the genuine fear that there is a deliberate plan to remove the Christian faith from the scheme of things and make us second-class citizens in our own country – genuine fear borne out of the recent happenings in our polity i.e. the same-faith ticket in one of the major political parties in Nigeria despite the caution raised by CAN since two years ago.

    “Whatever happens, no matter how many times our sensibilities are insulted, we must resolve to to make a positive impact on the political, economic and social systems of our dear nation.”

  • Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Bishop Kukah reacts to Tinubu’s choice of Running Mate

    Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Bishop Kukah reacts to Tinubu’s choice of Running Mate

    Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese has said the decision by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to present Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election was a teamwork based on calculation of what would work for the party.

    In a statement he personally signed on Monday, Kuka said the decision by the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu to pick Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate should not be a thing to worry about.

    Recall that Asiwaju on Sunday, announced the former Borno State Governor as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

    The development has continued to generate reactions from concerned Nigerians who argued that a Christian Northerner should have been picked in place of Shettima.

    But Kuka, while reacting to the controversy, said those angered by the development should support other candidates they feel are better.

    The statement reads, “This is what you call team selection and everybody will choose depending on what they think will give them a fair chance. So people will take responsibility for the choices they have made. For me, it is not something to lose sleep over.

    “If people feel unhappy with the kind of choices that have been made, that is why we are democrats, you can’t force it. We outsiders cannot force a choice of any candidate.

    “It is now left for you to look at the choices that have been made. And there is no guarantee that all Christians will vote for Christians and all Muslims will vote for Muslims.”

  • Tinubu Has Agreed To Run A Muslim-Muslim Ticket – Ganduje

    Tinubu Has Agreed To Run A Muslim-Muslim Ticket – Ganduje

    Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje on Friday said presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has agreed to pick a Muslim vice-presidential candidate.

    He made the comment during a gathering of about 100 clerics at the Kano state government house as part of activities to mark Eid El Kabir.

    “We have advised him to pick a Muslim deputy and he has agreed,” Mr Ganduje said.

    “A Muslim-Muslim ticket is a reality. It is not something new in Nigeria.”

    Mr Ganduje asked the clerics to pray for Tinubu to emerge as Nigeria’s president come 2023.

    He also urged them to offer prayers for his administration’s peace and progress.

    Mr Ganduje asked the clerics to pray for his Deputy Governor, Yusuf Gawuna, who emerged as the APC governorship candidate in Kano State for 2023 elections.

  • 2023: CAN Warns Major Political Parties Against Muslim-Muslim Ticket

    2023: CAN Warns Major Political Parties Against Muslim-Muslim Ticket

    The Christian Association of Nigeria has rejected proposed Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets by major political parties in the country, claiming that the outcome of the proposal will be worse.

    According to CAN, Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2023 is a threat to the fragile peace and unity of Nigeria.

    The apex Christian body gave the warning in a statement on Friday by its National Secretary, Barrister Joseph Bade Daramola, titled, ‘Christian Association of Nigeria Rejects Proposed Muslim/Muslim Presidential Ticket in 2023’.

    CAN said with the country’s trajectory and its challenges, it was important for the nation’s political parties not to further polarise the country by opting for Christian-Christian or Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets.

    The statement read, “The Christian Association of Nigeria has once again warned the leading political parties to bury the thought of Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket in 2023. We want to unequivocally state that it is a threat to the fragile peace and unity of Nigeria.

    “We congratulate the Presidential Candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the opposition People’s Democratic Party, the Labour Party: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi respectively, including other parties that are participating in the forthcoming Presidential election.

    “CAN urges that a balance of both religious practitioners be considered in the choice of running mates of the presidential candidates. We do not subscribe to Christian/Christian ticket or Muslim/Muslim ticket. Politicians can talk politics but we have stated our view long before now.

    “Any party that tries same religion ticket will fail. This is not 1993. Even when we have joint Muslim/Christian ticket, the church still goes through hell. Only God knows the number of Christians that have been killed in the last seven years with no one apprehended or prosecuted.

    “Imagine how bad it will be if we have two Muslims in power? The extant Nigerian Constitution promotes religious balance. So, if any political party wants to try a Muslim/Muslim ticket, it’s at its own peril. CAN is only forewarning but will make a categorical statement in the event our warning is not heeded.

    “The Presidential running mate for the APC presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu should be a Christian from the North, Atiku’s running mate should be a Christian from the South while Obi should choose his own among the Muslims from the North.

    “Anything contrary to the above means that the leadership of these political parties do not bother about the unity of this entity called Nigeria.

    “Those who are planning Muslim/Muslim ticket should also find out what was the outcome of MKO Abiola and Kingibe ticket in 1993. If they try Muslim/Muslim ticket this time around, the outcome will be worse because our fault lines are very visible.

    There is no party that has no great, good and patriotic Christians who can preside over the affairs of this nation not to talk of being the Vice President as some mischievous people are trying to say. If merit and competence are used as yardsticks, we have many qualified Christians in all the 774 Local Government Areas of this country.

    In the ongoing dispensation, CAN leadership cried in vain to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to break the monopoly or dominance of the security architecture with people of same faith. We are all seeing the outcome now. It is obvious that the Nigeria of today is different from that of 1993. Our politicians should stop flouting the Constitution by respecting the North and South dichotomy and religious factor.

    “To those arguing that people do not care about the religions of their leaders once they are competent and credible, we dare APC to pick its presidential running mate from the South and PDP pick its own from the North and see what follows.

    “When the late sage, Papa Obafemi Awolowo picked Chief Mrs Oyibo Odinamadu, a fellow Christian and Southerner, as his running mate in 1979, we all know the consequences of his performance in the North. Our politicians should be doing what will unite us instead of what will further polarise the country.”