A group within the All Progressives Congress has urged President Bola Tinubu and all leaders of the party to avoid having a Muslim as its secretary at the national level.
The group, under the aegis of Campaign for United Nigeria, Religious and Political Tolerance, in a statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, expressed disaffection with the story making the rounds that Senator Ajibola Basiru had been anointed to assume the office of the party secretary.
Recall that the immediate APC Chairman, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, and Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had recently resigned under unclear circumstances.
The group, in its statement signed by the Chairman, Godwin Osagie, and Secretary, Christopher Omoruyi, described the reported move to replace Omisore with Basiru as insensitive to the Christian members of the party.
The statement read in part, “We, an interest group within the ruling APC, are unhappy with the leadership of our party for ‘anointing’ a former Senator, Ajibola Basiru, to replace Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who resigned as the National Secretary of the party. Senator Iyiola Omisore resigned from his position as the National Secretary of the APC.
“We are aware of the move by some leaders and stalwarts of the APC in Osun State to replace Otunba Omisore with Senator Ajibola Basiru, who was the Spokesperson of the ninth Nigerian Senate. We had believed it was a political kite; for we know the office of the National Secretary of a ruling political party comes with maturity, candour, and humility.
“It is both inappropriate and completely insensitive to have Muslims as the National Chairman and Secretary of APC as being proposed, especially when the President and Vice President are both Muslims.
“It took so much effort to survive the presidential Muslim/Muslim ticket. God knows what it would cost the APC and Nigeria at large to have a Muslim Chairman and Muslim Secretary. It will be insensitive to the Christian-APC members across Nigeria.”
The group also urged the party leadership to consider another senatorial district to produce the secretary.
“The APC should consider other Senatorial Districts for the National Secretary position. While we are not contesting that Osun APC should produce a new National Secretary, we make a case for a suitable alternative, somebody that will be a unifying factor for the party in the state,” the statement added.
