2023: Competence, Capacity Should Be Placed Ahead Of Religion – el-Rufai 

The Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Friday, said competence, capacity and capability in terms of delivering good governance to Nigerians should be placed ahead of religion, in voting office-holders in 2023 general elections.

Speaking on the possibility of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) flying a Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket in the next year’s elections on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on Frriday night, monitored by our correspondent, el-Rufai said he doesn’t believe that the business of governance has to do with religion.

El-Rufai advised the nation to rather look for the best person for the job instead of placing religious sentiment ahead of competence.

According to him, “I think we should look for the best person for the job, the person that will get the job done, and get him to do that.”

He further stressed that he doesn’t look at people from the lens of being a Muslim or Christian.

“Some of my closest friends are Christians. Pastor Tunde Bakare is a Pentecostal pastor. He was the one that took me to CPC, not the President who is a Muslim while I’m very close to Pastor Bakare. I’m very close to many Christians.

“I don’t think that the business of governance has to do with religion. I’m the wrong person to be asked such a question because in my state, I picked a very competent, qualified woman as my running mate in the 2019 elections.

“But just because she happens to be a Muslim, people are calling it Muslim/Muslim ticket and they said we’re going to lose, but we won overwhelmingly. This fixation of Nigerians with religion instead of competence, capacity and capability is quite sad and pathetic,” he added.

The governor, however, urged the media to take religion out of governance, while the nation looks for someone competent and has the capacity and capability to deliver.

“We want to develop this country,” he said, adding that, “When I get into a plane I don’t ask for the religion of the pilot, when I go to the hospital, I don’t ask for the religion of the doctor. When boarding a plane, I just want to get to my destination accurately.”

He stressed that, “the way the media and many irresponsible people try to inject religion in politics and governance is sad and pathetic.”

He queried that such disposition will not take the nation anywhere.

El-Rufai said Nigeria was at a crossroads and faces very serious dangers in terms of security and economic meltdown.

“Nigeria is at the crossroads. We face very, very serious dangers in security and economic meltdown.

“The global issues are affecting us and all that people are concerned with as far as who will be president and vice president is religion. It is so sad.

“It is not a religion that will solve our problem. It is the people who are competent, that will address Nigeria’s problems, unite this country, and put it on a progressive path,” he stated.

He added that the nation should look for the best person for the job, the person that will get the job done.