CAN weighing up full response to unjust and divisive Muslim-Muslim ticket
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“We’ll escalate this issue because our call for fairness and the balancing of the presidential ticket for the sake justice, unity and fairness apparently fell on deaf ears,” says the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna chapter.
This is the initial reaction of CAN to the latest phase of the conspiracy, now spearheaded by Bola Tinubu, to continue with Islamising Nigeria, a cause to which Muhammadu Buhari has devoted his entire tenure, evident in all the key organs of the federal government.
CAN says it is biding its time to make a full response.
Tinubu lied on 8 June when he denied sending out a text message to Northern All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates promising to pick a Muslim running mate, also called a Muslim-Muslim ticket, if he won the presidential primary.
Part of the statement the Tinubu camp issued on the day reads:
“We have been informed of a text message going around APC delegates at Eagles Square in Abuja purportedly from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu claiming that with his imminent victory at the APC presidential primary and emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, the APC leader has now decided on a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“This is nothing but a lie, it has no basis whatsoever. We enjoin the distinguished delegates to ignore this completely.
“The fake text message is a ploy by some undemocratic elements to confuse and hoodwink delegates sensing that Asiwaju Tinubu is comfortably coasting home to victory.
“There is no truth whatsoever in any of these messages. They are lies perpetrated by shameless, desperate and misguided individuals and should be ignored as such.”
The main contestants against Tinubu were Christians.
The text message went round a few hours before voting began at Eagle Square. Many Nigerians believed that Tinubu indeed sent the message. Northerners in particular believed it and voted for him en bloc and he won the primary.
Tinubu lied that he did not send out the text message.
But he himself exposed his lie on 3 July when he announced as his running mate former Borno Governor Kashim Shettima (now APC Senator, Borno Central).
Tinubu is a Muslim. Like Shettima.
Both are Muslims, like Buhari whom the ticket is plotting to succeed in Aso Rock to escalate the Islamisation of the federal government which Buhari would have done for eight years by the time he leaves office on 29 May 2023.
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CAN biding its time to react in full
“We were ready for this announcement. We have put some media outlets on notice. All we are waiting for is the right signal to give a full blown reaction [to the Muslim-Muslim ticket],” CAN Kaduna chapter Chairman John Hayab told Vanguard.
“We’ll escalate this issue because our call for fairness and the balancing of the presidential ticket for the sake justice, unity and fairness apparently fell on deaf ears.
“However, CAN is strongly determined to sacrifice everything to protect the interest of the Church in Nigeria. We will not be moved by any form of intimidation.”
Tinubu’s justification for picking a fellow Muslim
Tinubu issued a statement on Sunday to extol the qualities he said he found in Shettima that make him suitable as a running mate. But there is nothing to say that he cannot find the same qualities in a Christian.
The statement reads in part:
“I have never been an indecisive man and have no present intention to become one. What I am, however, is a democrat, and a democrat must listen to, and consult with, the people and his advisors so that he may reform and govern wisely and on their behalf. This I have done.
“Having now listened to the sage, careful advice of a broad section of the party and of the nation, there are a few points I feel I must make about the exceptional and extraordinary person with whom I will share the APC ticket and the principles of open and good governance that informed this choice.
“A dominant theme of my political history and my personal life is my staunch belief in our diversity. Greatness lies in embracing our diversity and making it work to enhance the dynamism and justice of our political system.
“My selection of a running mate comports entirely with this longstanding inclination.
“The concurrence of my party in this matter has been a source of comfort and encouragement. We are truly building a progressive party that not only represents a departure from other political parties but one that truly may well be the best hope for democratic good governance in Nigeria ….
“This chapter in our country’s history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach, a path already charted by the progressive ethos of the APC.
“The foundation for sustainable progress has been laid these past seven years by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The challenges of today are consequential because the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians lie in the balance. Visionary and creative leadership will take us to our goal.
“Our focus, therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritise leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations.”