Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday insisted that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not right for Nigeria.
In the build-up to the presidential election, Bola Tinubu – the then-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – named former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.
Both Tinubu and Shettima are Muslims. The prospect of a Muslim/Muslim ticket generated outrage from some quarters, even within the ruling party. However, he denied allegations of Islamising Nigeria, saying his wife is a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God and has been practising her Christian faith.
But speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Atiku faulted the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, describing it as wrong for a heterogeneous country like Nigeria.
“Till today, I will not do Muslim-Muslim ticket. I don’t have to be President because I don’t believe it is right for this country,” he said.
“It is not right; (it) is absolutely wrong. We are multi-ethnic and multi-religious and our government should reflect our diversity and our composition.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate also called on Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s Rabiu Kwankwaso to join his quest for “justice” in the certificate saga involving President Tinubu.
He had requested the release of President Tinubu’s certificate from the Chicago State University over the suspicion that the former Lagos State governor submitted forged credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While the school had released the certificate to Atiku’s team, the former vice president who is challenging Tinubu’s election, called on Obi, Kwankwaso, and other Nigerians to join his quest for “justice” over the matter.
“Let me call on all well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thoughts, our religious, traditional, community and political leaders and in particular, Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP and the leaders of every political party in Nigeria and indeed every single person who loves this country as I do and who wishes nothing but the best for this country as I do, to join me in this campaign to enshrine probity, accountability and the basic principles of justice, morality, and uprightness in our country and in our government,” he said. “This is a task for everyone of us.”