North East, North Central Coalition Insists APC Same Faith Ticket Insensitive

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Coalition of North East and North Central APC Stakeholders has insisted that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of their party is insensitive.

According to the coalition, the nominations of Kasihim Shettima as vice presidential candidate and Simon Lalong as DG of the APC presidential campaign council is laughable.

At a joint press conference addressed by the convener, Dauda Yakubu, the leadership of the Coalition of North East and North Central APC Stakeholders said it remains a known fact that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party has indeed caused untold disaffection in the ranks of the party, especially in the North East and the North Central states in the country.
“The choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC has indeed questioned the position of our great party on mutual respect for the ethnic and religious plurality of the country.
“This is on the heels that the party elected to disregard the highly qualified and loyal party members from the North East and North Central region of Christian origin as vice presidential candidates of the party.”
“This action was insensitive and a gross display of insensitivity and strategy by the party’s leadership. We must state that since the return of democracy in 1999, it has been the trend for ethnic and religious balancing of political positions to give all a sense of belonging in the Nigerian project.
“This fact has been reflected in all elections since then, with all political parties adhering to the principle of balanced presidential tickets during elections. Consequently, we wondered what has changed that the APC elected to go for a Muslim-Muslim ticket, not minding the consequences of such actions on the electoral chances of the party, as well as the injury such a move would have on the sensibilities of Christians across the country.
“It is our considered opinion that the appointment of Simon Lalong as the DG of the APC Presidential Campaign Council is a feeble attempt at assuaging the Christian stakeholders in the party that has contributed immensely to the development of the party,” the group said adding that the leadership of the APC must come to terms with the realization that Nigeria is a religiously sensitive country.
It noted that the reactions that have come about due to the Muslim-Muslim ticket have been enormous, adding that this has also affected the public rating of the APC as a party of progressives; instead, it has projected the APC as a party of religious fanatics bent on Islamizing the country,” the group added.