From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have apparently underestimated the backlash that have trailed his decision to announce former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate last week.
Tinubu and by extension the ruling party, certainly doused the intense speculations over the same faith ticket, but may not have expected that the magnitude of the reactions. In the estimation of the presidential candidate and the ruling party, the choice of Shettima would quieten the hitherto heightened agitations and confusion that the unpopular controversial highly unacceptable issue of all Muslim/Muslim joint presidential ticket had generated.
Prior to Shettima’s emergence, the APC’s proposed same-faith joint presidential ticket had divided the country sharply along ethno-religious fault lines. For an average Muslim faithful, it is the best decision but for the Christians, it is a poisoned chalice for a secular country like Nigeria.
Warnings against the proposal came from elder statesmen, concerned party stakeholders, the Christian community, and several Nigerians. Those on the opposing side were unanimous in rejecting the proposal. And it was obvious, judging by the criticisms, that such an arrangement will pose a serious threat to the secularity of the country.
From the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to an average considerate, religious-sensitive Nigerian, the condemnation and rejection of the proposal was total. For them, it is a bitter pill to swallow.
Though many APC chieftains perceived religion as a mundane consideration against the joint ticket, the palpable fear in many quarters, however, is that the arrangement might fast-track the much-touted Islamisation of the country.
But the more the hues and cries from the apprehensive Nigerians, the more the ruling party remained adamant and resolute in going ahead with the agenda regardless of the consequences. And in what looked like caring less about the feelings of many Nigerians, the party, in an irreversible decision, brazenly went ahead to announce and upload their names to beat last Friday’s deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The decision has obviously heightened the political temperature in the country since last week. While many Muslims passionately defend it, most Christians had angrily frowned at it.
The verdict has generated an unending torrent of complaints and debates. It has apparently dominated socio-political discourse in the past one week. But the arguments for and against the development seem to suggest that the whole country has conceded the yet-to-be held presidential election to the ruling party.
“The approach to this Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy to many Nigerians looks as if there are no other political parties contesting against the APC. Even the opposition parties are making it such a big issue as if they have conceded victory to the ruling party. The PDP and other opposition parties ought to capitalise on what they perceive as political miscalculation by the APC and use it to their advantage, but they are rather ending up popularising the APC.
“Yes, I know very well that when the reverse should be the case, our Muslim brothers will not only reject it but also issue threats. The way Nigerians are approaching it makes it look as if they have endorsed our party to win the election already. If Nigerians don’t like the APC arrangement, they should show their disapproval through their votes not issuing threats and counter threats.
“In fact, when I hear even those that claim ‘Obidient’ complain about the same faith ticket and the supporters of other presidential candidates complain endlessly about the APC ticket, I see it as self-defeatism on their parts. I think that if they are not comfortable with the ticket, as they claimed, they should vote for the candidates of their parties, instead of unnecessarily dissipating energy over mundane issue of the same faith ticket,” an APC chieftain, who preferred anonymity, told Daily Sun.
But despite his submission, the anger has continued to heat the polity. Protests from certain groups have continued unabated and the anger over the decision by the APC standard bearer has equally remained palpable. For the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, the arrangement is a toxic, satanic, and disastrous error, and for Northern youths, Shettima’s antecedent automatically disqualified him for the position.
For APC Christian leaders in the 19 northern states, it is a recipe for anarchy. Again, for elder statesman, Edwin Clark, the decision will further worsen Nigeria’s precarious situation. It was the same view for Senator David Abbo who described the arrangement as a very irresponsible one.
The antagonism did not end only with those expressions of disappointment. The ruling party has witnessed a gale of resignation from its chieftains. From popular Nollywood artist, Kenneth Okonkwo, to Rivers State trio of Toye Cole, Dame Tamunoibim Semenitari, Dawari George – staunch loyalists to Rotimi Amaechi, and countless others across the country, the exodus of APC members aggrieved over the decision has been very massive.
But ignoring the tantrums from many quarters, Bola Tinubu, in defence of his choice for Shettima as his running mate, confessed that he relegated religion to the background and projected competence and capability.
He admitted that he perfectly understood the intensity of the controversy his decision of same faith joint ticket will generate, adding that he equally knew that his choice will send both intended and unintended signals to portions of the Nigerian electorate.
As if there are no competent and capable Christians in the North, Tinubu claimed that principles of competence and fairness other than religion or ethnicity guided him in settling for Shettima, a Muslim, as his running mate.
Hear him: “My political career was not built on blind indifference to the views of others. I appreciate the perspectives of leading members of the party, political allies, and key national figures who see Nigeria’s future as I do. They gave me their views so that I might add their valuable insights to mine to reach the best decision possible and do so in a manner that strengthens the institutional fabric of our party as well as accelerate the evolution of our political democracy.”
Speaking further, he said: “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 prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations.
“I am mindful of the energetic discourse concerning the possible religion of my running mate. Just and noble people have talked to me about this. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Others have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both.
“Both sides of the debate have impressive reasons and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment. As president, I hope to govern this nation toward uncommon progress. I made this choice because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region.
“May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations? I will not and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people. Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance. But religion, ethnicity, and region cannot always and fully determine our path,” he had argued.
But despite his appeals and assurances to many angry Nigerians, the political situation has never been the same again since the announcement. From all flanks, there have been more knocks than kudos to the decision with many even threatening fire and brimstone.
For the APC Christian leaders in the 19 northern states, it was not only a total rejection but also a recipe for disaster and a display of crass insensitivity to the complexity of modern Nigeria and the entire Church.
“Assuming that such lop-sidedness does not violate Section 14 (3) of the Constitution, if this was to be reversed so that all these were Christians, can any contentious Muslim in Nigeria attempt to sell such patently unjust and unfair arrangement to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria,” the APC Christian leaders asked.
Similar condemnations have equally come from stakeholders in Christian-dominated Southern Kaduna, who claimed that; “for a political party to have Muslims as its National Chairman, presidential and vice-presidential candidate, such a party is indeed not in a position to say it promotes and defends the spirit of justice, fairness, and equity.”
Former SGF, Babachir Lawal, was more vicious and poignant in his condemnation and attack on his party over the same faith joint ticket, declaring emphatically that the ruling party should forget the possibility of retaining power beyond 2023.
His words: “Tinubu is a very good man. He is a great listener. He has a very humble and friendly disposition to everyone. He is very generous in both cash and kind, especially where it could advance his political interests. But I have realised that it is in the nature of power that sycophants and lapdogs have the most influence on leaders with such character traits.
“And, why Shetima? He is an overambitious man who has a Machiavellian bent and has lots of money with which to procure a preferred-candidate status among Tinubu’s lapdogs, as we are beginning to see. He can also procure bogus supporters, especially from among the Christian community, to help launder his not-so-good image.
“But as a popular proverb goes: those whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. It appears that the gods want to destroy the APC and its presidential candidate and have chosen the instrumentality of the northern Moslem governors, their super ambitious tool, and Shettima for this purpose. He is a Greek gift from the northern governors to Tinubu. I advise Bola to make sure Kashim’s two hands are always in plain sight and empty.
“True, based on the advice of his new friends, Tinubu has made his choice. And I am sure he thinks he is ready for the outcome of that choice. He has chosen to bring religion to the front burner of Nigerian politics. And being a Muslim, he has chosen to take sides with his own religion. For all he cares, Christians can go to blazes with their votes.
“But he must also be told that there will be consequences for this choice. Some of them are that Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC to put the chances of his election in serious jeopardy. It will also put the election of all Christians standing for elections in Christian-dominated areas in jeopardy. This could result in APC being a minority party in both the National and State Houses of Assembly,” Babachir warned.
Not done yet, the former SGF raised a vital statistics, when he asked; “tell me which Christian will vote for APC with the following contraption: Moslem presidential candidate (Lagos), Moslem vice presidential candidate (Borno), Moslem party’s National Chairman (Nasarawa), Moslem Deputy National Chairman (Borno), Moslem President (Katsina); Moslem Senate President (Yobe); Moslem Speaker (Lagos); Moslem Deputy Speaker (Plateau) e.t.c. APC the great! Wu na de try woh!”
But despite the quantum of resentments against the APC’s decision, the urge to outsmart and wade off threats from candidates of other opposition parties to harvest the massive votes from the North East and North West seems to have blindfolded the ruling party.
Before the announcement, the debate had centred on the possibility of the ruling party attracting the desired votes from northern electorate by picking a Christian running mate from the minority Christian northern community or settles for a Muslim running mate and leverage on the popular voting strength of the Muslim northern community.
And faced with the twin evil of either fielding a Christian running mate and risk losing a large chunk of the northern voting strength or settling for a Muslim-Muslim joint ticket, win their votes and risking the anger of the Nigerian Christian voting public, the ruling party had settled for the latter, sacrificing the former.
Refusing to yield to the mounting pressures and forces, including the speculated belated intelligence report from the Department of State Service (DSS) to President Buhari discouraging the continuation of the plan, the ruling party and its stakeholders have continued to tenaciously defend their choice. They dismissed any negative intent and made passionate appeals to Nigerians that APC still remains their best bet in 2023.
Reacting to Shettima’s controversial choice, APC National Vice Chairman, Salihu Lukman, revealed that the leadership of the party took many factors into consideration before arriving at the decision.
He assured that Tinubu will protect the interest of all Nigerians, stressing, “my position, which I have always buttressed, is that politics is about contest and managing interests. Certainly, the party’s leadership considered all the factors before arriving at picking the running mate.
“In the end, we will have to convince Nigerians that Muslim-Muslim ticket, or however you look at it does not mean discrimination against anybody. The party and the candidate will have to work to protect their interests,” he promised.
In his own special appeal, Tinubu said that; “to forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics.
“In 1993, Nigerians embraced MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe in one of our fairest elections ever held. The spirit of 1993 is upon us again in 2023. As such, the ticket we present represents a milestone in our political history. It symbolizes our party’s determination to be a leading light among political parties in Africa,” he maintained.
Whichever side of the coin you fall, what is certain is that the arrangement will remain a topical issue to the point of using it as a campaign gimmick. However, that might perhaps be a child’s play compared to the victorious reward of ultimately raking in votes from the Muslim-dominated North East and North West.
Whether APC can come out of the seeming booby trap of a Muslim/Muslim ticket will be clearer after next year’s presidential election.
Quote: “in 1993, Nigerians embraced MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe in one of our fairest elections ever held. The spirit of 1993 is upon us again in 2023. As such, the ticket we present represents a milestone in our political history”