CAN Fumes Over Tinubu’s Choice Of Muslim Running Mate

The selection of former governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Ahmed Tinubu, has been frowned upon by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Tinubu had during a visit to the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), in Daura on Sunday announced Shettima, a Muslim, as his running mate.

Before now, there had been warnings from CAN, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Civil Society Organisations against fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH correspondent on Sunday, CAN’s spokesperson, Adebayo Oladeji, said making such a decision in a polarised country was a wrong move.

He stated that if having a pastor as the vice president of the country and Christian clerics and worshipers are being killed , the security of lives and properties of Christians under a Muslim-Muslim could not be guaranteed.

Oladeji, however, warned that Nigerians should be ready to face the consequences of their actions if they endorsed and vote for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He said, “We knew this was what he was going to do and we have warned against it. It is up to Nigerians to decide on what they want.

“You are all alive when we warned Buhari not to allow Muslims to dominate the security architecture of the country and he did it. I think we can see the way the criminals are operating with impunity.

“So, if Tinubu says he is opting for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a polarised country like ours , if Nigerians endorse him and vote for him, whatever happens, Nigerians will face the consequences.

“If you have a government where a pastor is a vice president and pastors and worshipers are being killed you can imagine what will happen when we have a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“It is left to Nigerians to make their choice, let them vote them in and we will all face the consequences together.

“We are raising our alarm. It is an irony that Buhari they regarded as an extremist when we raised an alarm to warn him against a Muslim-Muslim ticket, he heeded and opted for a christian as his vice presidential candidate. ”