The All Progressives Congress, Kogi State chapter, has tasked supporters to look beyond religious and ethnic considerations in electing the party’s flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu has presented Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
The Chairman, Kogi state chapter of the APC, Abdullahi Bello, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Lokoja, Kogi State, threw his weight behind the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party.
He described it as an indication that the political system has risen above religious and ethnic sentiments.
Bello said, “I don’t see anything wrong in Asiwaju’s choice of Shettima as his running mate. At best, the development is only history repeating itself as there have been similar scenario in 1993 when Chief MKO Abiola ran on a joint ticket with fellow Muslim, Babagana Kingibe.
“It’s on record that the best election ever conducted in the history of this country was a Muslim-Muslim ticket. There is nothing special about the present situation. Rather,it shows that our democracy is evolving and is fast rising above religious and ethnic considerations.
He called on electorates to put religious consideration behind and vote for competency for the betterment of the country.
“We should not focus on religion or ethnic background of Tinubu and Shettima but their pedigrees as undisputable achievers in their respective rights.
“Tinubu more than any politician has built human capacity and should be given the chance to repeat such feat at the national level,” Bello said.
He added, “No one has been able to fault Tinubu and Shetima as achievers of note and experienced politicians who had both touched lives in various ways when they were governors of their state adding that they will do the same when given the chance.”
Also speaking, ex-lawmaker Duro Meseko, in an interview with our correspondent said that no one can say that Tnubu is a religious fanatic,he has been attending Church programs. His wife of several years is a Christian and even a senior pastor in Redeemed Christian Church.”He had not forced his religion on any member of his family.
Meseko,a one time governorship aspirant in Kogi state said that Nigerian should should not consider religious background of the two individuals, rather Nigerians should consider what they have done in their respective stated when they were there as governors.
