How Muslim-Muslim Ticket Uproar Forced Tinubu To Night Meeting With Jonathan

Strong opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket among Christian leaders was one of the motivating factors that led the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday night.

The move, GWG reports, has also seen the APC leadership fanning out to notable Christian leaders to melt the strong resistance to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as pushed by the APC.

GWG reports that the opposition is especially increasing in the Northern Christian Belt spreading from Southern Borno to Kebbi South.

It was gathered that Tinubu who while may not have had any religious bias in his past politicking did not envisage the kind of resistance that the Muslim-Muslim ticket has stirred with one time strong allies distancing themselves from him.

GWG reports that former allies including former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Babachir Lawal among others have been resisting emissaries and entreaties to sheath the sword on the issue.

It was learnt that the fear that the continuing resistance could harm his life ambition to be president was what led Tinubu to his one time mortal foe, President Jonathan on Tuesday night. The visit to President Olusegun Obasanjo, another long time political foe was also seen in that light in reaching out to prominent Christians.

Tinubu was escorted on the Tuesday night visit by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima who had also been a mortal political enemy of Jonathan’s.

Others on Tinubu’s entourage were the director-general of his campaign council and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle; Jigawa Governor Abubakar Badaru and their Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Daily Trust also reports that multiple sources confided in the newspaper that Tinubu’s team solicited Jonathan’s support for APC’s victory come the 2023 presidential election.

One of the sources said, “Jonathan is a father in the country now because he is a former president. He was one of our presidential aspirants that didn’t show up. So if you are talking of Jonathan, you are talking of APC; he is our member.

 “So what they discussed basically was the issue of Tinubu contesting with Shettima on same faith ticket. As it is now, Tinubu and his supporters have started reaching out to people who are Christians to see the essence of voting a Muslim/Muslim ticket in 2023.”

 Another source privy to the meeting said, “The former president was very receptive. He was very comfortable with us. He was happy that they visited him,” said of the visit to Jonathan by Tinubu which was believed to be aimed at soothing objections to the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket.

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