Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that it was insensitive of the party to opt for a same faith presidential ticket in a secular country like Nigeria.
Vice President-General of Ohanaeze, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, at a press conference in Awka, the state capital, said that he received the news that the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, picked a fellow Muslim as a running mate with shock.
Okeke-Ogene said that Tinubu’s action was a direct threat to Nigeria’s unity and corporate existence, cautioning that the party should, as a matter of urgency, rescind that decision and enlist a Christian as its Vice Presidential candidate.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation pointed out that Nigeria was a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, warning that “any attempt by one religion to dominate the political structure would only widen the gap of mistrust and destroy the delicate sense of tolerance cultivated over the years.”
Okeke-Ogene made it clear that APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket was not only ill-timed but also a total disregard for the diversity of the country. He said that “the party has undermined efforts of well meaning Nigerians over the years to bridge religious differences and promote ethnic harmonious co-existence.”
He said: “Tinubu’s desperation to be President of Nigeria has thwarted efforts and sacrifice of former President Goodluck Jonathan to consolidate on corporate existence of Nigeria when he stated that his political aspiration was not worth shedding the blood of any Nigerian.”
The Ohanaeze VP, Okeke-Ogene, pointed out that “from Tinubu’s actions, the APC presidential candidate does not care nor is he interested in the unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as a country.”
