By Adeleye Kunle
Rev. Fr Matthew Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has reacted to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s choice of Kashim Shettima as his running mate, Track News reports
Tinubu confirmed his choice of the former Borno Governor as his running mate during an interview with journalists on Sunday following a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
According to Naija News, the announcement was met with a barrage of reactions because Tinubu chose a Muslim-Muslim ticket despite several admonitions from concerned bodies to consider a Muslim-Christian ticket.
Prior to this development, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had strongly opposed the idea of a single-faith ticket, urging political parties to prioritize competence over sentiment.
Tinubu, who ended up running on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, has defended his reasons for not selecting a Christian as his running mate.
In an interview with The Punch, Kukah explained that Tinubu chose Shettima because he believes the lawmaker will give him a fair chance in the 2023 presidential election.
Kukah stated that he is not concerned about Tinubu’s choice of the former Borno Governor as the ruling party’s vice presidential candidate, adding that Tinubu was free to choose whoever he wanted.
He said it was up to Nigerians to decide whether they wanted a Muslim-Muslim President and Vice-President.
“This is what you call team selection,” he explained, “and everyone will choose based on what they believe will give them a fair chance.” As a result, people will accept responsibility for the decisions they have made. It is not something I am concerned about.
“If people are dissatisfied with the choices that have been made, that is why we are democratic; you can’t force it.” We as outsiders cannot compel any candidate to run. It is now up to you to consider the decisions that have been made. There is also no guarantee that all Christians will vote for Christians or that all Muslims will vote for Muslims.”
This article first appeared on Track News.
