Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma has said the furore over the presidential Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must stop.
He stated this while speaking with State House correspondents on Friday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, Nigerians should be more preoccupied with the economy and the security challenges present in the country.
He said it is left for the electorate to accept or reject the Muslim-Muslim ticket at the polls.
He said, “I think that even the media want to use this opportunity to invite you people to prioritise our area of interest. First, the mood of the country today is not about who the candidates are.
“The mood of the country is that two or three years ago, we were producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil every day. For over 12 years, that has been our main source of foreign exchange. Suddenly, because of the activities of those who are anti-national interest, we’ve lost over a million barrels and barely managed to produce 1 million.
“I think we should arise in unison to condemn the activities of crude oil theft by anti-Nigerian interest groups and bring back the economy of the country. Because you have to have a country first before you have a president.
“Look at the quantum of banditry going on in Nigeria today. To the extent that bandits are courageously even coming into the capital city. We should all rise in unison and condemned these activities.
“We should emphasize things that will unite the country. And please do, by the grace of God, abandon those things that are capable of dismembering the country.
“Our national interest is important. Our national unity is important. Our ability to live together as brothers and sisters is also important.
“The primary purpose of government is for the security of lives and property and the welfare of our citizens. To what extent have we supported the federal government in achieving this primary purpose?
“Those are things that should occupy our minds now. But if you throw Nigeria into a situation where religious dichotomy and ethnic jingoism will be at the front burner, it means you are working against Nigeria. So let us allow political parties who have chosen their candidates, no matter the religion where they come from, to go out their campaigns.
“It is left for the electorate to reject the ticket by not voting for them. Or accept the ticket by voting for them. But if we continue to make these things headlines, you are hitting up our polity unnecessarily. I want to beg you in the name of God, let us serve our country,” he added.
