The National Strategic Committee (NSC) of the PDP New Generation, has described as illogical the choice of Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The political support group through its National Strategic Committee in a statement on Sunday, claimed the entire People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigerians at large were shocked with the news that Tinubu, a Muslim, has chosen a fellow Muslim as a running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
The statement signed by the spokesman of NSC, Mohammed Ahmed Gorko, said that the support group condemned the choice of the APC vice presidential candidate as it was questionable.
“We condemn in strong terms the choice of the All progressive congress (APC) to promote a religious based campaign despite recognising the ethno-religious diversity in the country.
“As we all know, Nigeria is a secular state. At a time when the citizens are divided more than ever before, when the country faces ethno-religious crisis in states like Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba and Benue, it is illogical and irresponsible of the APC to further divide the people with a Muslim-Muslim ticket instead of moving to the path that will unite us as a people.
“The position of the APC to play the religious card in order to secure votes in the upcoming election comes with many questions.
“Is it that the APC as a body does not believe in the population of the Christians in the North? Or Is the APC saying that there is no qualified northern Christian in the entire party that can serve as a good running mate to Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”
“As events unfold in the future, we want to remind Nigerians that the People’s Democratic Party is the only force that can guarantee religious tolerance, promote peace and harmony among Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic or religious differences,” Gorko said.
He claimed that the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is the only candidate that can unify the country, hence his latest appellation of the ‘Unifier’.
“The PDP still remains the only party that is ready to accommodate, tolerate, and promote unity in our diversity,” he stated.
