Bayo Onanuga, director of media and publicity for Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, says members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party are masquerading as APC Northern Christians. He accused them of working for Atiku Abubakar, a PDP presidential standard-bearer. 

Mr Onanuga revealed this in a statement on Monday while berating former House of Representatives speaker Yakubu Dogara for convening an “unholy meeting of all PDP members, masquerading as APC members” working for Mr Atiku. 

“The former speaker had spearheaded a campaign of vitriol and hate against our party, using religion as camouflage, after he lost the vice-presidential candidacy to a better qualified Senator Kashim Shettima,” said the statement.

It added, “Among the politicians at the unholy consultative meeting were Mukhar Shagari, Boni Haruna, Abdulfattah Ahmed; Damishi Sango; Senator Idris Ahmed Umar; and two former deputy governors of Kogi state, Yomi Awoniyi and Simon Achuba. They are all PDP members working for the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar.”

Mr Tinubu’s choice of a fellow Muslim, Mr Shettima, has continued to attract flak from party members professing to be Christians. However, Mr Tinubu said his choice was informed by competence, not religion.

Last week, the APC expelled the senator representing Adamawa North, Elisha Ishiyaku Abbo.

The lawmaker is a staunch critic of the APC Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. His expulsion was reportedly orchestrated by executive members of his local government chapter of the party who accused him of anti-party. He was also accused of actions that posed serious threats to the peace of the ruling party.

Mr Dogara, a Christian from Bauchi, had openly criticised the Muslim-Muslim ticket, describing it as a satanic move that could trigger an uprising and possible disintegration of the country.