Lawal insists Tinubu’s Muslim jihad bodes disaster for Nigeria
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“This is not about religion. This is about all-inclusiveness, this is about equity, this is about justice, this is about peaceful co-existence with each other, with our neighbours.
“No Muslim wants to be in an acrimonious relationship with Christians. The fight we are fighting is a fight for everybody, for justice.”
Babachir Lawal has escalated his criticism of the Taliban takeover quest of Bola Tinubu by him picking Kashim Shettima as his Mujahideen tag team mate in Aso Rock to complete Nigeria’s Islamisation, the passion of Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari, a Muslim, has spent his seven years in the Villa to farm out to fellow Northern Muslims key positions in all security agencies as well as in all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
They have ganged up to Islamise the federal government.
A few hours before voting began at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary on 8 June, Tinubu sent out a text message to Northern delegates promising to pick a Muslim running mate if he won.
He was competing against candidates who are mostly Christians.
The Northern delegates, who are mostly Muslims, embraced Tinubu’s fraud and gave him their bloc vote. He won the primary by a wide margin.
Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), cited how the top rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is concerned up by Muslims which is being progressed by Tinubu’s jihadism, “a direct attack on Christians.”
This, he said, has resulted in an outcry by the Christian bloc in the APC.
Lawal was reacting to a false report that the Planning and Strategy Committee of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, which he headed, recommended a same-faith ticket.
He explained in an interview on Arise TV that a subcommittee recommended that a Muslim-Christian ticket outweighs whatever may be the merits of a Muslim-Muslim team.
The subcommittee, chaired by Senator Grace Folasade-Bent, recommended that Tinubu should choose his running mate from among
- Shettima
- Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara
- United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed
- Kashim Imam, an associate of Tinubu
- Ambassador Fatima Balla
- Senator Anthony Manzo
- Najatu Mohammed
- Former Sokoto Governor now Senator Aliyu Wamakko
- Borno Governor Babagana Zulum
- Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai
- Kebbi Governor Atiku Bagudu
Detailed recommendations
“Our report was very detailed about the implication of religion in this coming election,” Lawal explained.
“In the report, both scenarios were viewed and analysed and the report made provision for the advantages of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and the disadvantages.
“There was also a recommendation as to the benefits and demerits of a Muslim-Christian ticket, and those outweigh the benefits of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“I tried to get the APC to see the benefits of including the Christian community in the National Working Committee [NWC] and National Executive Council [NEC] of the party, but they didn’t listen and instead appointed Muslims as both the National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman.”
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Related articles:
Northern Christians rail against Tinubu’s Taliban takeover
Borno CAN rejects Tinubu’s Islamist time bomb
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Religion as a key factor
Lawal said his fears were realised when the APC primaries produced a Muslim presidential candidate, according to The PUNCH which monitored the interview.
He referred to his letter to Tinubu an insisted that anyone running for Aso Rock must consider religion as a major factor.
“First of all, nobody should aspire to be President of this country if he ignores the religious dichotomy in the system. We know that religion is a major factor in this country and it’s a divisive factor.
“And anybody wishing to lead this country ought to be concerned that he is going to kickstart his government in a manner that is divisive in a manner that is antagonistic to a certain segment of the society.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is Christianity, whether it is Igbo tribe, or Hausa tribe, or Muslims or so on. You are supposed to, first of all, seek to unite the people you intend to rule. Whatever else you will do, without this unity, nobody will appreciate it.”
Direct attack on Christians
Lawal said Tinubu has not reached out to the Christian bloc in the APC, because if he had, he (Lawal) would have been at the meeting.
He justified his statement that the Muslim-Muslim ticket would not play out well for the APC.
“First of all, you would antagonise the Christian majority in this country; it’s a direct attack on them. And even in your own zone, you might put your election in jeopardy.
“Because when it comes to religion, Nigerians take religion first. Now, you’ll jeopardise the whole of the Christian religion in the North, in the South, in the South East.”
Lawal insisted that his stand against a Muslim-Muslim ticket is a fight for inclusiveness in the APC because such a ticket would create agitation between Christians and Muslims who have always lived together in peace.
“I can tell you that this is not about religion. This is about all-inclusiveness, this is about equity, this is about justice, this is about peaceful co-existence with each other, with our neighbours.
“No Muslim wants to be in an acrimonious relationship with Christians. The fight we are fighting is a fight for everybody, for justice.”
Forever reservations about a faulty combination
Lawal said regardless of the competence of Shettima, there would always be reservations against his nomination by aggrieved parties.
“This is where the danger would come from; if you go into a government in which the Christian population feels discriminates against it; whatever that government would do, no matter what they do to placate the Christian community, there will be no interest in supporting this government.”