The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Yakubu Ajaka has dismissed with a wave of the hand the controversy generated by the same faith ticket his party is presenting in next year’s presidential election.
The announcement of the former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima (a Muslim) as the running mate to the APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (also a Muslim) has pitched some members of the party against others. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir David Lawal and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, both members of the APC have spearheaded strident campaigns against the decision.
But reacting to this development Sunday night, Mr Ajaka said: “As it is common with developing democracies such as ours, the selection of candidates for the parties always comes with various challenges, mostly bordering on sentiments, such as religion, ethnicity, and geo-political arrangements.
“The cry of marginalisation has also become a common and popular feature among politicians and the electorate.
“These sentiments had been into play all our political life for quite a long time. Unfortunately, we seem to throw away competence, capacity, and qualification to these sentiments. This is partly responsible for our present predicament, with no benefit to even the agitators of such sentiments.
“It is regrettable that our country has been recording divisive tendencies, with our unity as a nation sometimes threatened. There are ill feelings over perceived cases of marginalization. In Nigeria, every section is crying about marginalization. It has been the case during Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan’s administrations, and now.
“We, especially the youths, must start somewhere to change the narratives in the interest of national unity and speedy development of our dear country. We must start somewhere to make a change for a better tomorrow.
“Nigeria needs a patriotic leader who can give others outside his geo-political zone, tribe and religion equal opportunity for self-actualisation and service to the nation. He should be a leader with a firm belief in the potentialities of the country.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic and commercial centre, a former high-ranking senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and national leader of the APC before his election as the presidential candidate of the party, is undoubtedly the man with these sterling qualities.’’