Now, it is important to note here that not many people know the facts or can recall the past presidential candidates and their cohorts, let me flash your memories back.
1) In 1978, UPN presidential touch bearer Chief Obafemi Awolowo picked his running mate Chief Umeadi Philip ( ready to win but failed) Christian/ Christian ticket, no comments, then.
2) In 1979 Dr Nnamdi Azikwe and Prof Ishaya Audu of Kaduna state ran upon Christian/Christian ticket, you want to know, the party? “Later”
3) in 1966-1975 Yakubu Gowon and Joseph Akinwole ruled us as Christian/Christian (Military Era)
4) Johnson Aguyi Ironsi and Babafemi Ogundipe ruled Nigeria on Christian/Christian (Military Era) No noise.
Though before now, some southern Christians are furious, and never hidden their hatred for northerners and classified APC as Muslim party, and their northern Christian counterpart as inferior, but yet overwhelming of the northern Christians are with the believe of APC as Muslim party and are hellbent to see APC lost at every ramifications, they serve as strong voting block for the PDP since the inception of democracy in 1999 to date.
If you can recall the 2011 general elections ACN filled a Muslim/Muslim ticket and nobody raised any dust.
Knowing fully that it will not reach the peak of the day. We knew it was a PDP show of shame, because ACN’s choice was dead on arrival.
The questions that baffles us at this juncture is, why fuming for Tinubu’s choice of Muslim/Muslim ticket instead of holding to your PVC’s? Time never lies and history always repeats itself.
Late Chief Moshood Abiola’s running mate was a Muslim from the north, as God have it, he is still alive Baba Gana Kingibe, they won with margin but were denied. Nigerians were silent, nothing like religion was raised but competency was the order of the day. Why now?
The present overwhelming anger and furry making round is the bold handwriting “VICTORY” Nigerians and political parties knew the strength of APC presidential flag bearer even before the polls. They know Tinubu and Shettima are a formidable force that you can reckon with.
Babachir David Lawal’s musing furry for Shettima’s choice as running mate is a sign of accumulated hatred for Muslims and his dashed hopes and clouded opportunity of being carried along. He is known to be an expert in blackmail and turning Nigerians against themselves.
Babachir is not a grassroot politician but an opportunist who rode on the back of CAN to fame as a disgraced SFG in the history of Nigeria, picking him as a running mate would’ve been the catastrophic mistake APC would’ve made, that will hunt the party for eternity.
Knowing that his chances and hopes are dashed, he embarked on trying to pitch Nigerian Christians against Muslims and cause confusion in the country, it is very difficult to fathom why Babachir the “acclaimed” Tinubu’s best friend and ally will condescend this low to a political bigot to orchestrate volatile political schisms and. overheating the polity, because Shettima is chosen as Tinubu’s running mate instead of him.
The inordinate ambition of Babachir David Lawal to clinch on the constraint position of VP died a natural death.
Democracy is not safe if the people tolerate religious bigotry, if religion is overemphasized in democracy than competency and transparency, we are politically doomed. Be careful, what you wish for humans are marvelously adaptable, it is common to hear that it is our brains which have made us what we are today.
But the ability to make the best of everything is also why so many of us simply accept things as they are, rather than try to change them, we live in the “Now” in the moment and because we have adapted to it, it feels totally natural.
Signed:
Haruna Adamu (Sardauna)
(Chairman Northeast APC Youth Stakeholders Forum)