As APC puts on hold the unveiling of Kashim Shettima Mustapha as the running mate of the standard bearer of the party, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, opposition keeps mounting every day on his choice.It has gone so bad that the party is threatened and opposition almost celebrating their victory even before the elections.
Specifically, the opposition says, they do not support the choice of Kashim Shettima. They emphasize on the fact that they have found Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda (EL DABI), a true detribalised Nigerian Youth Leader worthy to be the running mate and Vice President to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next political dispensation.
The various opposition insist that it is worthy of note that Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda’s catholic gestures has endeared him to all Nigerians (Christians and Muslims alike). He has touched lives beyond religious barriers through all his philanthropic and humanitarian platforms, throughout the length and breadth of our noble nation, Nigeria.
Speaking to media men recently, a notable Nigerian Christian who has lived all his life in Maiduguri said, theopposition of Christians and Church leaders is not just about the Muslim-Muslim ticket, but more about the personality of the person chosen.
If Ashiwaju has chosen or more cerebral, catholic and most qualified personage like Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda, Nigerians wouldn’t have risen in unison against the choice.
‘We Christians in the north and all over Nigeria are not against Muslims. We love them. We have been living withthem for ages.
Ordinarily, we would love that a Christian to team up with Ashiwaju.
‘But if is the party’s decision to pick a Muslim because of acceptability in the north, we would rather go for a better Muslim, not a hardliner whose tenure in Borno government house is much associated with the Boko Haram menace and suffering of Christians.
The Church leader said Nigerian should not be carried away with the recent social media report credited to Borno CAN chairman, portraying Shettima as a great leader. ‘This report was done almost ten years ago. A mischievous person unearthed it to sway public opinion towards Shettima. The CAN chairman himself has denied the report and Nigerian should not be deceived.’
The decision of the party to put on hold the unveiling is a pointer to the fact that the party is listening and Shettima may be dropped for a Christian candidate or a more acceptable Muslim from the North East.
Several political movements and organizations have put to their grievances together and sent to the party to quickly remedy the anomaly or lose their involvements in the forthcoming campaign or lose their supports and membership of the party totally.
Some of the organizations that have raised their objections are the Coalition of all APC Support Groups, Nigerian Youths and Students, 27 APC Youth Groups, Ijaw Youth Council and some Christian organizations.
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) called on the leadership of the APC, the Progressive Governors Forum and the party’s standard bearer not to take the focus away from the youth constituency for justice and equity sake.
Specifically, they demand the immediate replacement of Senator Kashim Shettima with Dr. Ibrahim Dauda (El-Dabi) as the APC vice presidential candidate before Friday’s deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the substitution of party candidates for the 2023 general elections.
Also, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) argued that the sidelining of youths from getting the party’s ticket was an attempt by APC to prevent them from making inroads when most political leaders became ministers and governors in their thirties and forties. And we’re fully supported by the elders then.
“We speak in one voice and unanimously rejecting in totality the recent announcement of Kashim Shettima as the running mate. We call on the Leadership of All Progressives Congress, to reconsider the choice on running mate of the Party, and give support to Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda to whom we all rally round and give all our fullest support nationwide ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election. He is the Nigerian youths’ symbol.
“This group is standing firm on Nigerian Youths Inclusion’ and hence urging the APC leadership to give a space to the youths to exercise their civil rights to actively participate and make a choice of leadership.