Veteran Nigerian actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, has resigned his membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) over its Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for 2023.
The actor made this known on his official Instagram page.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Okonkwo stated that APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket would permanently destroy the political viability of Christians in the north of Nigeria if allowed to stand.
He added that he resigned his membership also in the interest of equity, justice, fairness and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
Okonkwo is the latest member of the ruling APC to show displeasure over Tinubu’s choice of running mate.
On Monday, following the nomination of Shettima, a Muslim, as the running mate to Tinubu, also a Muslim ahead of the 2023 general election, Senator Ishaku Abbo, APC, Adamawa North dumped the Tinubu Support Organisation.
Abbo said in a statement that with the Muslim- Muslim ticket that has been adopted by his party, his conscience will not allow him to campaign for the APC presidential candidate and his running mate, just as he described the ruling party’s choice of Muslim-Muslim ticket as irresponsible, insensitive and ignorant of the country’s political system.
Abbo who was the first Senator in the 9th Senate to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC noted that he was resigning his membership of Tinubu’s support group over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
Senator Abbo said, “It is very irresponsible of Tinubu to take his political survival over the stability and peace of Nigeria.
“For Tinubu now to be given the ticket and turn around to do what he couldn’t achieve in 2015 despite opposition from Catholics and other Christian leaders is extremely irresponsible “
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The Senator who accused Tinubu of refusing to take a cue from the opposition against his vice-presidential ambition and how President Muhammadu Buhari opted for a Christian running mate in 2015, said, “Buhari fought a civil war and understands the consequences of a divided nation. When Tinubu wanted to be VP in 2015, Buhari said no because he understood the importance of unity.”
Abbo, who explained how he met with a support group in Abuja in search of a running mate for Tinubu, said that the group had concluded that Tinubu should not pick a Muslim as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election, he told The Gazette.
He said, “We sat down in Abuja and strategised, and we concluded that he should not take a Muslim as running mate. He (Tinubu) threw away the report. My conscience will not allow me to campaign for Tinubu. I am a member of CAN; I cannot deny CAN. I remain in APC. But I will take the survival of my country first over political considerations.
“We cannot work for such a man. I will oppose (a) Christian-Christian ticket because I am invested in the stability of this country. A Christian-Christian ticket will be insensitive to Muslims of this country. The country is evenly divided among Muslims and Christians. So any government that is Muslim-Muslim will be illegitimate and will never gain the respect of Christians.”