A coalition of North-East and North Central stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has enjoined the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), to urgently revisit the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.
Dauda Yakubu, the Secretary-General of the coalition, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, advised the party to do something quickly to resolve the lingering impasse arising from its decision to float a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
It said the decision was causing division, hatred and suspicion among Nigerians.
According to the Secretary-General, there was a lot at stake for the party should it go ahead with a same-faith presidential ticket, cautioning the party to do the needful to avoid losing the 2023 presidency.
Dauda Yakubu noted, “To avoid outright rejection in 2023, the coalition, therefore, urges the party to resolve the impasse that has come about as a result of Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
The coalition urged the APC to initiate steps and measures toward replacing Shettima with a notable party member of Christian faith.
It advised that the leadership of the APC must take advantage of INEC’s final list of presidential candidates, which is to be published on September 20, to quickly address the wrong and hand the party’s vice presidential ticket to a Christian to assuage the feelings of those still aggrieved.
It further advised that the party must not be perceived as disregarding and disrespecting the Christian community in Nigeria, saying that the implication of such was massive electoral loss.
It also said the party’s leadership must realise that other political parties adopted the Muslim-Christian tickets, stressing that the APC must not be an exemption.
It said the Muslim-Muslim ticket could only lead to the path of destruction for the party, pointing out that as concerned stakeholders, they were using this medium to call on the party’s leadership to effect a change in the composition of the party’s presidential ticket.