Former Special Adviser to late President Shehu Shagari, Tanko Yakasai had said those speaking against Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima joint ticket for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election want the party to fail.
Yakasai said there is no need for controversies regarding the Muslim-Muslim, adding that the joint ticket is not unusual.
Yakasai who spoke in Kano on Monday said that: “This is not the first time a candidate or leaders of this country and their deputy shared the same faith.”
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He added: “When Major General Muhammadu Buhari seized power in 1983, his deputy who was the Chief of staff, Supreme headquarters, Major General Tunde Idiagbon were both Muslim from the north geopolitical region.”
He stressed that “Late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a southern Muslim and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe recorded a landslide victory in 1993 general election.”
“Therefore, it’s not something new to Nigeria, and I’m particularly not disturbed that history has repeated itself, certainly it will work.”
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“Tinubu is from the South West from a minority religion, if you ask him to take a minority Northern Christian, it will be minority ticket, and such arrangements negate the principle of participatory democracy.”
“Northern population consist of 85 percent Muslims, and in the principle of fairness, you must choose from the dominant faith to enable the ticket fly.”
“Don’t forget, Christian faithful in the north consist less than 20 percent of the region’s population, therefore Tinubu’s choice is representational, balance and fair to competing stakeholders in Nigeria.”,
“Those canvassing for anything contrary to the existing arrangements want Tinubu to fail. A combination of minority from the south and the north can’t win a competitive election in Nigeria.”
