…Move to Adopt Consensus Candidate Ticket
By Ralph Madugu
As the 2023 general elections approach, the dust raised by the same faith ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, may not settle down any soon as it continues to worsen following the latest decision by the northern Christian leaders in the ruling APC and some Northern Muslim political leaders have agreed to adopt a presidential candidate that has national appeal and sense of equity to defeat the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the APC, despite the public outcry.
The leaders made this known in a resolution in a communique issued at the end of a consultative meeting and dialogue between the APC Christian leaders and the northern political leaders held in Abuja recently.
The communique was jointly signed by former Speaker, House of Representatives and current member, representing Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Dass in the National Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State Minister of Water Resources during President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Alh. Mukthari Shagari.
The APC Northern Christian leaders, led by Hon. Yakubu Dogara and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, agreed to focus on issues that unite Nigerians as a people rather than encouraging attacks on sensitive religious issues in the name of politics.
The communiqué, which read in part, said, “The APC Northern Christian leaders have, in line with their communiqué issued on July 29, 2022, met with some Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 northern states and the FCT and resolved as follows:
“That we have agreed to work together to foster unity, peace, and national cohesion.
“To work together and jointly adopt a Pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness, and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
“Conscious of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria, we believe that a same-faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation-building.
“Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matters that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitive issues bothering religion in the name of politics.
“Given the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives outlined in this resolution.”
The meeting was attended by a former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna; former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed; ex-Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango; Senator Idris Ahmed Umar; and two former deputy governors of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi and Simon Achuba.
Others were Hon. Ummara Kumalia, Air Marshal Monday Morgan (rtd), Gen. Ishaya Bauka (rtd), Mohammed Sani Sidi, Hon. John B. Bawa and 20 others including the current Chairman of the CAN in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph Hayab.