*Declines comment on Osun poll
THE National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, has denied saying that Christian votes do not matter, and that those displeased with the party’s Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Senator Kashim Shettima’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket could support other parties.
Noting that every party’s value judgement is placed on the candidate they feel best can win the election, not religion, he said “I will never say the Christian vote doesn’t matter. That will be the last thing I will ever say in my life in politics. The fact of the matter is that in life, in anything you do, somebody wins and somebody loses.”
Senator Adamu spoke on a programme on Arise Television “The Morning Show,” yesterday morning as the results of the Osun governorship election, the incumbent, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC lost, were being announced.
osun election
The APC leader continued: “Ordinarily and between you and I and the God that created me, I respect the policies of people, so, I cannot in any reason tell you I don’t care about what people feel. I do care. This is Nigeria for you and I, inhabited by Christians and Muslims and we are involved in some multi-party politics and every party in its own value judgement will place on the platform the candidate they feel best can win the election. This is politics; whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, you know that God does not act in vain. The Bible says it, the Quran says it and our position with regards to what you are talking about cannot be any different.
“We are human beings and we do things to the limit of our understanding to get to our desired destination with the combination of the aspirations that we have. This should not be about Muslims or Christians, TV stations should not lay emphasis on religion as the determinant of political behaviours. You cannot be seen as being parochial as religion is the in thing, unless you do things certain ways, you cannot get your way.
“I respect the views of my Christian brothers and sisters, I will be extremely insensitive not to accommodate that but the fact of the matter is that we have a platform called the APC, mine is to lead it and know the direction.
“I will never say the Christian vote doesn’t matter, that will be the last thing I will ever say in my life in politics.”
Asked about the party’s next move after losing the Osun State governorship election, he said he had not been formally briefed on the outcome of the poll.
“I have not formally heard from INEC, who is the independent commission responsible for election in Nigeria. Once I hear formally from INEC I will be in the position to respond to that.
I don’t like pre-empting any situation. When I get the result I will get back to you. Until I hear from the INEC formally or my people in the control room inform me, I won’t abide by it. Until I get the result I will not speculate.”