Much Ado About Muslim-Muslim Ticket

One great challenge facing political parties especially All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) after successful completion of their presidential primaries is the choice of running mates with the polity now overcharged with the debate over a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

With Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the Southwest geo-political zone of the country as the candidate of APC and Abubakar Atiku, also a Muslim from the Northeast part of the country as PDP presidential candidate,  religious equity demands that  they should  pick Christian running mates.

While the task may not be too difficult for PDP whose running mate would be chosen from the south of the country, it is a great challenge for APC whose running mate would definitely come from the north where Muslims are in majority.

As the deadline for the submission of candidates by various political parties to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) draws closer, CAN has joined other groups warning  the two  leading political parties not to make a mistake of neglecting Christians in the choice of running mates.  

The National President of CAN the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Samson Ayokunle was unequivocal in warning APC, PDP and other political against succumbing to the temptation of going for a Muslim president and vice-president in 2023.

Investigation reveal that while PDP may not find it difficult in choosing a Christian running mate from the south, the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu , might settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket, given the party’s difficulty in finding a Christian from the North who would boost the party’s chances in the election.

A top source in the party revealed that even though consultation was still ongoing, the idea of picking either Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State was unfeasible given what was said as his limited clout in the region.

The source noted that North-West and North-East had the bloc votes in the region and that if the party could not find a stronger Christian from the two sub-regions, it might settle for a Muslim.

 However, the  CAN President who was represented by the Founder of Sword of The Spirit Ministries International, Bishop Francis Wale-Oke, at an event in Abuja on Sunday, said the Muslim-Muslim ticket would not be  to the interest of  Christian population  in the country

Speaking on the theme ‘More than Conquerors,’ Ayokunle noted that any party that wishes to produce the next president must not undermine the Christian community.

He said, “While I congratulate the candidates, I must sound this warning, please do not fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket. It would not fly. It will not stand. Rather, it would set the nation against each other.

“The candidate who will emerge is the one who works with the Church. Please, do not alienate the church”.

While some political observers  are deflating the Muslim-Muslim ticket debate  by referring to the 1993 pair of MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ticket of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993, others are quick to draw their attention to the fact that Nigeria of 1993 is different from Nigeria of today.

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