Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has called Christians and politicians opposed to the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket featuring Bola Tinubu and Kassim Shettima as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to see reason. 

“We’ve had times when Christians led this country. We have time that a Muslim is leading the country. We can’t deny that fact. We cannot have what we all want at the same time, all of us agreeing to one thing,” Mr Adamu argued. “The fact of the matter is we appreciate that the Christians are interested, but the truth of the matter is we are as practical as we can in this situation, and we do hope that people will see reason.”

The APC chair further explained that “nobody wants to promote Christianity or Muslim-Muslim ticket necessarily,” but insisted, “Shettima is another Nigerian like you and me.” 

He said it was the will of God and a practical campaign strategy to win the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Adamu added, “Yes, we don’t all have to be Muslims or Christians. It is the will of God that this time around, he will be vice president.”

The APC chairman said this when he and the party’s National Working Committee members visited President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Daura, Katsina, on Wednesday.

Mr Adamu added, “God doesn’t do anything in vain. God has a reason for making two major religious persuasions to be in this country. Each of these groups has good people who have reasons to believe they have stake also.”

On Sunday, Mr Tinubu chose Mr Shettima as his running mate, which critics described as insensitive.

Mr Tinubu’s choice of Mr Shettima marked the first time since 1993 that a major party ticket would have Muslims as both presidential candidate and running mate.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had previously expressed worries that Mr Tinubu could plunge the country into crisis should he pick a Muslim as his running mate.

Members of the APC Christian caucus rejected the Tinubu-Shettima candidature, predicting calamity for the ruling party after the manner of 1993 presidential election when the Abiola-Kingibe’s “pyrrhic” victory was cut short by a military junta.

Including Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau, cabinet secretary Boss Mustapha, Ishaku Abbo (a senator), and other top politicians, the caucus on Monday issued a communique conveying their disappointment and resistance to the party’s selection of two Muslims as its presidential flag bearers.

“That the current Nigerian environment and political atmosphere are different from what occurred in 1993 and therefore a Muslim-Muslim ticket is unacceptable,” the group had insisted. “It doesn’t take the smart to know that Abiola/Kingibe victory turned out to be a pyrrhic victory as there was never a President Abiola nor vice President Kingibe. Is that what we want a repeat of in 2023?”