Senator Smart Adeyemi has proposed a bill seeking to debar political parties from presenting candidates of the same religion for presidential and vice presidential positions.

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, Mr Adeyemi, representing Kogi West senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, said there was need to forestall the contentious issues on nomination of candidates of the same religion by political parties after the 2023 presidential election.

There have been widespread opposition from the Christian community since the APC put forward Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, both Muslims, as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively, in the 2023 elections.

The proposed bill by Mr Adeyemi was titled

“A Bill for an act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 and for other related matters connected 2022.”

It seeks to amend Section 84 of the act by inserting a new subsection (3).

The senator explained that  the proposed subsection 3 entailed that:

“No political party shall nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates after this dispensation.”

“This bill may be cited as Electoral Act 2022 (Amendment) Bill, 2022,” Mr Adeyemi said.

He said the bill sought to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to promote religious harmony in the country by discouraging political parties from fielding running mates of the same religion with the presidential candidate.

“When this is accommodated, it will serve as a guide against any oversight, such as this in the future as further occurrences will be deemed as silent policies which will be capable of bringing down the fabrics of the nation.

“For me as a statesman, I owe myself the responsibility to speak the truth at all times, irrespective of mischievous misinterpretations,” Mr Adeyemi said.

Mr Adeyemi said he supported the positions of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the contentious issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He, however, said he was fully in support of the candidacy of Senators Tinubu and Shettima as APC candidates for the 2023 presidential election, given their individual sterling performances and pedigrees in governance.

“Let me say very clearly that I am in total support of the issues and concerns raised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). I am a practising Christian.

“But we must not confront these issues in such a manner that will obstruct the fabric of our national unity, peace and stability which we have all fought very hard to keep.

“Yes, there have been oversights in key appointments in the past, which tends to keep the Christians at a disadvantage and this has caused apprehension amongst us.

“It must not be seen that there are no Christians who are eminently qualified to occupy any of these positions.”

Mr Adeyemi called on all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, to see the emergence of Messrs Tinubu and Shettima as the will of the almighty who governs the universe.

“However, let us, in unity of faith in our nation and above all, in the almighty God give our support to the APC Presidential and Vice presidential candidates to pilot the affairs of our nation within the stipulated time.”

(NAN)