APC Muslim-Muslim Presidential Ticket: Slap to North, insult on Nigerians – Group

The Forum of Middle Belt Youth Presidents, FMBYPs, has described the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as ungodly in a multi-religious state; a slap to the North and an insult on Nigerians.

The President of the Forum, Terrence Kuanum in a statement, Monday, while reacting to the choice of Alhaji Kashim Shettima as the running mate of the APC presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, said Middle Belt youths were utterly shocked, disappointed and saddened by the choice.

While regretting that the APC had resorted to emulating an alleged bad example in Kaduna state and desperately wants to foist same on Nigeria, the forum urged Nigerians to get their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to end the misrule of the APC which it claimed had turned Nigeria into a huge killing field.

The FMBYP in the statement noted that, “although we anticipated that the party which has no regard for inclusiveness and fairness would go for a muslim-muslim ticket, we thought the party could for once, tow the line of honour, justice and fairness by taking into consideration the feelings of other Nigerians.

“But the leopard as they say, can never have its spot washed away by rain. The anti-people party made good its arrogant boast that it would do what suits it and Nigerians can go to hell.

“It is frightening that a party that prides itself as a progressive one could neglect the yearnings of Nigerians – as it has always done – at a time that any sane and decent group is clamouring for inclusivity. It leaves one wondering if those in the ruling party which scammed its way into power would ever repent.

“Sad enough, the party which is known for making unforced errors had in the build-up to the blunder of settling for a muslim-muslim ticket, called the bluff of Christians and other ethnic minorities, not just from the North, but the entire country.

“Since majority of stakeholders in the APC were of the ill-intentioned opinion that competence, and not religion or region was of paramount importance for the choice of who flies the party’s ticket along with Tinubu, it therefore means that the final decision is a clandestine way to say Christians, especially from the North are bereft of competent people.

“The APC should have been reasonable enough to present a ticket that shall take into consideration the colouration and temperature of the country at the moment. But they chose to thread on the path of dishonour. That is indeed an insult and a clear way of saying those who are not comfortable with the move can go-to-hell.

“For the Muslim North, they can savour the temporary victory. But they should not feign ignorance of the mild insult to them. That the APC sees them as having only religion and a huge number of uneducated, unfed, unemployed street urchins as political capital is an insult we wish they wouldn’t want to bear.

“But what should one expect from a people that are ready to go to bed with empty stomachs, but are happy as long as one of their own is among those calling the shot at the top?