Despite the public uproar trailing the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, many of the state chapters of the APC seem to be undisturbed.
While some consider the Muslim-Muslim ticket as a winning formula, others said Nigerians should focus on the pedigree of the candidates as persons with the capacity to salvage the country from its current woes.
The Secretary to the Abia State APC, Chidi Aboaja, told Sunday PUNCH that members who left the party because of Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket were entitled to their decision.
“Party is like a church, anyone who feels he has prayed enough, he will leave and anytime he comes back, you will receive him,” he said.
In a similar vein, the Publicity Secretary of the Anambra State APC, Okelo Madukaife, said the chapter had no problem with Muslim-Muslim, as its focus was on how the South-East would have good representation in Tinubu’s government if he wins.
Madukaife said, “Rather than raise any objection, our focus is on how the South-East will be represented meaningfully in the central government which goes beyond the President and vice president.”
Similarly, the Deputy Publicity Secretary of Edo APC, Ofure Osehobo, said, “The Muslim-Muslim ticket is a win-win situation and it does not mean that the party does not have the interest of the Christian population at heart. The wife of the Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is a Christian and a pastor at the Redeem Church and he is a Muslim.”
But the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Cross River State, Erasmus Ekpang, who said his opinion doesn’t count in the matter, submitted that “We should not be sentimental about it. If the Muslim-Muslim ticket is going to jeopardise our chances in 2023, let’s wait and see.”
On his part, Publicity Secretary of Akwa Ibom APC, Otoabassi Udoh, said the controversy of the Muslim-Muslim ticket was unnecessary as “Nigeria is not running a theocracy, we are not running politics of religion.”
Meanwhile, some party stalwarts in other geopolitical zones have stressed their support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in Kwara State, Mr Folaranmi Aro, said
“The Muslim-Muslim ticket is not new in the country. Nigerians don’t care about religion; they are only concerned about competence and the ability of the President to deliver and proffer solutions to the various problems facing the country.
“It is only the politicians in the opposition parties that are making noise on the Muslim-Muslim ticket to divide the APC.”
The Chairman of the Kogi State chapter of the APC, Abdullahi Bello, also backed the Muslim-Muslim ticket, describing it as an indication that the political system had risen above religious and ethnic sentiments.
He said, “We should not focus on the religion or ethnic background of Tinubu and Shetima but their pedigrees as undisputable achievers in their respective rights. Tinubu, more than any other politician, has built human capacity and should be given the chance to repeat such a feat at the national level.”
Similarly, the Publicity Secretary of the APC Zamfara State chapter, Yusuf Idris, said the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party was a sign of political maturity.
Idris said, “It is high time voted competent people who could deliver, irrespective of their religion, tribe, or region.”
“I am quite optimistic that the APC will win the presidential election in 2023 without any difficulty, considering the track records of the two gentlemen, Tinubu and Shettima,” he added.
APC bigwigs speak
APC leaders across the three geopolitical zones of the country have explained the reason behind their support for Tinubu’s choice for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The party’s bigwigs, who spoke with our correspondents in separate interviews, reiterated that it was high time Nigerians looked beyond the toga of ethnicity and religion if they ever hoped to reverse the ill fortune of the country.
National Vice Chairman of the APC for South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, said, “As a party leader, I do the work the APC gives to me. If the party says ‘XYZ’ is our candidate, I will dutifully go and vote for him. I am a Christian, but I believe that the country has reached a level where we have to live beyond the primordial consideration of ethnicity and religion.
“The most important thing is to think about performance. What we should be talking about is if Asiwaju will tackle the problem of insecurity and hunger in the country. Our challenge in the nation cuts across hunger, infrastructure, and the absence of a strong economy. If Asiwaju’s presidency will guarantee these, I urge Nigerians to vote for him.”
The Chairman of Lagos APC, Cornelius Ojelabi, said the criticisms being expressed by many Nigerians were orchestrated by the opposition.
Ojelabi called on the leadership of CAN and other aggrieved groups to downplay ethno-religious sentiments to avoid setting the country on fire.
He said, “I am a pastor myself and see nothing wrong in his picking any competent candidate irrespective of religion. Tinubu is a very liberal person. Despite being a Muslim, his wife and children are Christians.
“Nevertheless, there will be a continuous enlightenment campaign to explain to organisations like CAN on the need to really play down on this issue of religion, and think of the future of our country.”
On his part, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), Salihu Lukman, said, “My position has always been that politics is all about managing interests. Certainly, the party leadership had considered all the factors before arriving at a decision.
“In the end, we have to convince Nigerians that Muslim-Muslim ticket or however you look at it does not mean discrimination against anybody.”
Also, the APC Zonal Publicity Secretary for North-West, Musa Mada, refuted the claim that his people were still angry with Tinubu over the emergence of Shettima.
“We are APC, and we are going to work for APC regardless of the zone the vice presidential candidate is chosen from. Nobody from my zone can say he is unhappy with the choice of Tinubu in picking Senator Shettima,” he said.