A source within Tinubu’s camp revealed to Punch that hours to the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC standard-bearer had shunned all entreaties to drop Shettima.
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, despite the public outcry which greeted his choice of the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket, has proceeded to submit the former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, to the nation’s electoral commission.
A source within Tinubu’s camp revealed to Punch that hours to the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC standard-bearer had shunned all entreaties to drop Shettima.
Tinubu, who is a southern Muslim, had incurred the wrath of the Christian Association of Nigerian, some party members and political stakeholders when he announced Shettima, a northern Muslim, as the “special one,” to be his running mate.
He broke the news to journalists after his closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Daura, Katsina State during the Sallah break.
However, the possibility that Tinubu might bow to pressure to change his running mate was erased on Friday when he went on to submit Shettima’s name to INEC.
The spokesman for Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga, told Punch that it would have been unwise for his principal to drop Shettima because certain people were uncomfortable with the choice.
“That is not possible. We have seen this move before; all these campaigns to pit us against fellow Nigerians. It happened in 1993 and the result was clear. There was pressure from several quarters for (MKO) Abiola to drop (Babagana) Kingibe because of his Muslim background,” Onanuga said.
The campaign spokesman urged Nigerians to focus on competence instead of flying the kite of ethno-religious sentiments.
“What we should be looking at is not religion but competence of the candidate to deliver and take the country to a greater height. They will soon realise that. As I said earlier, there is no likelihood of our presidential candidate dropping Shettima. He has selected him and Shettima will remain. He is a cool candidate. Either of them can be a President,” Onanuga insisted.
The former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria also disclosed that there were ongoing efforts to appease CAN and disgruntled APC stalwarts, including a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, a former ally of Tinubu, who has been one of the most vociferous voices against Tinubu’s decision to settle for Muslim-Muslim ticket.
SaharaReporters had on Friday reported that no fewer than 10,000 Christians from across the 19 northern states stormed Abuja, to protest the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by Tinubu.
The protesters, under the umbrella of All Christians Community of Northern Nigeria, had marched to the Presidential Villa to submit a protest letter to the Nigerian government over the Muslim-Muslim agenda adopted by the APC.
The leader of the group, Moses Adams, said the decision of the APC regarding its presidential candidate was not the best for a diverse country like Nigeria.