Babachir Lawal, former Secretary General of the Federation, has reacted to the All Progressives Congress, APC’s ‘Muslim-Muslim’ Ticket.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress’s 2023 flagbearer, announced Ex-Borno Governor Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate last weekend.
Nigerians have reacted angrily to the news, with many condemning the move.
Lawal stated in an Op-ed published in this newspaper that the development was “proof” of an Islamization agenda.
Read on;
I thought I’d be able to avoid commenting on Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s disastrous choice of running mate.
I will be the very last person to stand in Tinubu’s way to the presidency. This is because I have been rooting for him to succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria since 2011.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t seen it coming. I’ve often read his body language, gleaned snippets from several conversations with his lapdogs (some of whom, sadly, are Christians, but the majority of whom are Muslims), and expressed my reservations to them about the pitfalls of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, which I sensed they were heading towards.
As part of my obligation to him, a close friend, I had argued the advantages and disadvantages of both ticket permutations to him on numerous occasions. I have done so verbally and in writing, as well as with some of his close respectable associates and friends. In all cases, I had left him with sole responsibility for his final decision, arguing that the consequences of any bad decision would ultimately fall on his shoulders.
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However, there may be some collateral damage. I’ve also passed on to him advice and messages from well-meaning Nigerians intended to warn him about the possible outcomes of the presidential ticket permutations on several occasions.
Tinubu is a wonderful person. He’s an excellent listener. He is humble and friendly to everyone. He is extremely generous in both cash and kind, particularly when it serves his political interests. But I’ve realised that it’s in the nature of power for sycophants and lapdogs to wield the most power over leaders who exhibit such characteristics.
They will deceive him, malign and disparage others, and generally do anything to gain his favour while also casting well-meaning associates in a negative light. This is probably what happened to my friend. He is surrounded by self-serving, hero-worshiping lapdogs.
This was never the case. He surrounded himself with smart, street-wise guys who could tell the truth to power when he was in his prime in Lagos. Rauf Aregbesola, Yemi Osinbajo, Babatunde Fashola, Dele Alake, Muiz Banire, and others were among those he had. Think tanks, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, principles and ideologies were all commonplace in Lagos.
However, these individuals have matured and moved on to establish their own systems, leaving my friend stranded. Nature, it is said, despises vacuum cleaners.
Please accept the equivalent in Abuja. People in Abuja, on the other hand, are afflicted with modern Nigerian diseases such as religious bigotry, sycophancy, and morbid tribalism. They are mostly political operatives who aren’t afraid to use devilish means. Think tanks and strategic planning are a thing of the past. The days of principles and ideologies are over.
You can try to call a meeting, but they will not come. They will sabotage any plan you make. Everything is haphazard and chaotic because they thrive in such environments.
As a result, they have exploited his long-term ambition to become president, building it up to a point of desperation and crescendo that easily justifies this satanic reliance on a Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is the fate of my friend.
What about Kashim Shetima? He is an overly ambitious man with a Machiavellian bent and a lot of money to buy preferential treatment among Tinubu’s lapdogs. And, as we are seeing, to recruit phoney supporters, particularly from the Christian community, to help him clean up his bad reputation.
However, as the proverb goes, “those whom the gods wish to destroy, first make mad.” The gods appear to want to destroy the APC and its presidential candidate, and they have chosen the northern Moslem governors and their super ambitious tool, Kashim Shettima, to accomplish this. Tinubu was given Alhaji Kashim Shetima by the Northern governors as a Greek gift. Bola should always keep Kashim’s two hands visible and empty.
True, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made a decision based on the advice of his new friends. And I’m sure he believes he is prepared for the outcome of his decision. He has chosen to prioritise religion in Nigerian politics. And, as a Muslim, he has chosen to support his religion. Christians can vote themselves into oblivion for all he cares.
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But he must also be informed that his decision will have consequences. Some predict that Christians across the country will revolt against the APC, putting his election in jeopardy. It will also jeopardise the election of all Christians running for office in Christian-dominated areas. As a result, the APC may find itself in the minority in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.
Now, with the following contraption, tell me which Christian will vote for the APC: Moslem Presidential Candidate (Lagos), Moslem Vice Presidential Candidate (Borno), Moslem National Chairman (Nasarawa), Moslem Deputy National Chairman (Borno), Moslem President (Katsina), Moslem Senate President (Yobe), Moslem Speaker (Lagos), Moslem Deputy Speaker (Plateau), etc. Woh, wu na de try!
Northern governors and some northern Moslem elites must have persuaded him that a ticket with a northern Christian on it would never be voted for. And he has agreed. But if he believes a Moslem-Moslem ticket will win him the votes of northern Muslims, he should reconsider. It is in their nature to vote for one of their sons.
Buhari, their first son, will not run in the 2023 election. Their second son will be named Atiku.
Governor Ganduje, the “Kadmul Islam,” leaked advance notice that Tinubu had assured them he would nominate a Moslem as his running mate. For those who are unaware, Governor Ganduje is the founder of the “Ganduje Foundation,” whose stated mission is to “provide selfless service to humanity and Islam,” but whose primary goal appears to be the conversion of Christians to Islam.
So, if my very good friend Tinubu, in his desperate bid for the presidency, allows himself to be transformed into a religious bigot or even a mujahideen, he is welcome. However, it is a risk that will not bode well for his presidential campaign. But, if he wins and becomes President of Nigeria, he will do so as a sectional president, an Islamic president, and he will almost certainly face massive discontent and opposition even before he takes office.
Expecting Nigerians to ignore this blatant disregard for the country’s diversity is tantamount to acquiescing in the commission of grave injustice and discrimination against a large segment of the population. No one running for President of Nigeria should ever use religious extremism and exclusivism to win elections. This is extremely risky. This is very unfortunate.
Bola, however, has made his decision, barring a last-minute change of heart. He should be told flatly that in this choice, Nigerian Christians clearly see a looming Islamic Republic of Nigeria in its early stages and are right to be concerned. Since Tinubu announced Kashim Shetima as his running mate, the Christian community across the country has been in mourning. Are the majority of Muslims satisfied with this? The answer is unequivocally NO.
So, how should we react? The decision on how to respond to this purposefully irrational act of provocation is both corporate for each religious group and personal for each voter who values peace and despises injustice. At home, school, and work, Christians want to coexist peacefully with their Muslim neighbours. As we have always done or desired to do in the markets and on the streets. And I’m sure Muslims agree with me. No one person’s desire to rule over us should be allowed to divide us and drive us apart.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be forced to reverse this decision by whoever has the authority to do so. President Buhari should use his powers as Commander-in-Chief and APC Leader to revoke Tinubu’s nomination for Vice President. If the nominations are not withdrawn, the APC National Chairman should refuse to sign them. The Bible contains a story about how some people reacted to similar provocation:
“And when all Israel saw that the king was not listening to them, they said to the king, ‘What portion do we have in David?’” We have no inheritance from Jesse’s son. O Israel, to your tents! Look around your house now, David.” As a result, Israel returned to their tents.” (1 Kings 12:16).
Bola should be our next President, in my opinion. However, I am afraid that a Moslem-Moslem ticket will result in “Dead on Arrival.” The arrival date, according to INEC’s election schedule, is February 25th, 2023. This ticket will drag the entire APC to the pit. It should be rejected by everyone.
