The Muslim Youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming general elections.
Newswebbs learnt that the Muslim Youths prefer a Christian political leader from the North to enhance the party’s fortunes ahead of the polls, instead of the former governor of Borno State.
Abdullahi Saleh, the leader of the group, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday explained that they were in total rejection of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying that all Nigerians should be carried along in all spheres of life.
According to the group, the APC must respect the religious diversity of the country on President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu to replace the vice presidential candidate of the APC.
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“As concerned stakeholders of the APC in the 19 Northern States in the country, we find it worrisome that such a decision could be taken without recourse to its implication on the electoral chances of the party and the attendant uproar such a decision could bring about in the country.” the group said.
The youths also noted that it was worrisome that of all the country’s political parties, only the APC presented a Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying that in their opinion, it is insensitive and a gross display of a lack of respect for their Christian brothers and sisters.
They noted that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a Muslim from South West Nigeria, and picking another Muslim from the northern part of the country as his running mate is politically and morally indefensible.
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The leader of the group was of the opinion that in Northern Nigeria, there are credible candidates with rich credentials and with massive grassroots following that can complement the presidential ticket of the APC in the presidential elections and ensure its success in the forthcoming polls.
He stressed that as such, “the 19 APC States Northern Muslims Forum sees the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima as an aberration that should be corrected with immediate effect by the relevant authorities within the party for the corporate existence of the country.”
He explained that “the implication of non-action in this regard can only be imagined, so much so that the majority of the eligible voters in Northern Nigeria have elected to boycott the APC in protest of the disrespect and disregard to Northern Christians, whose population and relevance in the scheme of things in the region cannot be overemphasized.”