Muslim-Muslim ticket: Tinubu ignores critics, submits INEC form

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday, dashed the hopes of several Nigerians wishing that he would reconsider his stance on the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket by replacing former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, with a northern Christian, as his running mate.

A source within Tinubu’s camp revealed hours to the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission that the APC standard-bearer had shunned all entreaties to drop Shettima.

Tinubu, who is a southern Muslim, had incurred the wrath of the Christian Association of Nigerian, some party members and political stakeholders when he announced Shettima, a northern Muslim, as the ‘special one,’ to be his running mate.

He broke the news to journalists after his closed-door meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at his residence in Daura, Katsina State during the Sallah break.

The announcement provoked widespread criticisms, particularly from the Christian community with its feeling of marginalisation and age-long suspicion of an alleged plan to Islamise Nigeria.

Following the outrage that greeted his decision, Tinubu’s men and campaign teams deployed diplomacy and political conversations in the media to assuage frayed nerves.

The desperate move to downplay talks surrounding ‘Islamisation of Nigeria’ fuelled the belief that Tinubu and the leadership of the APC might consider dropping Shettima for a northern Christian before INEC deadline.