The leader, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Middle Belt Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark has rejected the nomination of former governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The elder statesman said the decision of the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pick Shettima, who is of his religion is a development that threatens the unity of the country.
According to him, Nigeria is a secular state, hence the need for the number one and number two citizen to be occupied by practitioners of the two major religions in order to allow for balancing and equity.
Clark further noted that Tinubu’s decision to fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023 is ill-timed as it comes at a time that the country is experiencing lots of division especially on the grounds of religion.
Clark in a statement issued on Monday also questioned if the action of the APC Presidential candidate is not a pointer to the confirmation and actualisation of rumoured plans to Islamise Nigeria as a country.
The statement reads, “I feel threatened for our beloved country because of the way things are going. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, with Christianity and Islam as the major religions, even though Nigeria is a secular state.
“In compliance with Constitutional provisions of inclusiveness, the number one and number two positions in the country, viz, President and Vice President have always been occupied by practitioners of the two major religions, to ensure balancing.
“It will be recalled that the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, could not be chosen in 2015 as Vice President to Muhammadu Buhari, because he is a Muslim and Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim. Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, in his own words confirmed this in his statement in Abeokuta, Ogun State. What has changed? One quality of a good leader is consistency. A good leader must act in the same way at all times, to all people. He must not display double standard.
“Today, what has the Presidential candidate of the APC, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu done? He has picked a person of his religion, a Muslim, as his Running-mate. Such choice is not inclusive, it is not good for a secular state like Nigeria.
“There is presently a sharp division in the country, even on religious lines, and all patriots are seeking ways to salvage the situation. Therefore, Alhaji Tinubu’s decision to take a fellow Muslim as his running mate, will further worsen the situation in the country. He should know that patriotism is a quality of a good leader.
“On the reasons adduced by Alhaji Tinubu on why he chose Kashim Shettima as Running-mate, is the APC Presidential Flag bearer telling Nigerians that there are no Christians in the APC from the north who are “competent, capable and reliable?”
“There are rumours of an attempt to Islamise the country. Are all these pointers to the confirmation and actualisation of such rumours.
“One needs to bear in mind the antecedents of the major backers of Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition, which include Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State, and the chosen one – Kashim Shettima.
“Both the Governor and Deputy Governor in Kaduna State, are Muslim; a blatant action by Governor Nasir el-Rufai. Unfortunately, the APC Gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 elections, is following suit. Is there a deliberate move of making Kaduna an Islamic State?
“Unconfirmed statistics put the ratio of Christians and Muslims in Kaduna State as 50/50; some statistics even put it as 55% for Christians and 45% for Muslims, yet Nasir el-Rufai, despite complaints and agitations by people not only from Kaduna State, but from the entire country, ‘decided’ to pick a Muslim as his Deputy,” Clark’s statement titled ‘On Muslim – Muslim Ticket’ partly reads.
