A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has again condemned the choice of Kashim Shettima as running mate to the All Progressives Congress standard-bearer, Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, the former SGF said the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC is a direct attack on Christians.
Lawal noted that “nobody should aspire to be President of this country if he ignores the religious dichotomy”.
Referring to his letter to the APC presidential candidate, where he condemned the Muslim-Muslim ticket, Lawal said anyone vying for the presidency must consider religion as a major factor.
He said, “First of all, nobody should aspire to be President of this country if he ignores the religious dichotomy in the system. We know that religion is a major factor in this country and it’s a divisive factor. And anybody wishing to lead this country, ought to be concerned that he is going to kickstart his government in a manner that is divisive in a manner that is antagonistic to a certain segment of the society.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is Christianity, whether it is Igbo tribe, or Hausa tribe, or Muslims or so on. You are supposed to, first of all, seek to unite the people you intend to rule. Whatever else you will do, without this unity, nobody will appreciate it.”
Lawal alleged that Tinubu had not reached out to the Christian group within the APC, stating that if he had, he (Lawal), would have been at the meeting.
He added, “First of all, you would antagonise the Christian majority in this country; it’s a direct attack on them. And even in your own zone, you might put your election in jeopardy. Because when it comes to religion, Nigerians take religion first. Now, you’ll jeopardise the whole of the Christian religion in the North, in the South, in the South East.”
“I can tell you that this is not about religion. This is about all-inclusiveness, this is about equity, this is about justice, this is about peaceful co-existence with each other, with our neighbours. No Muslim wants to be in an acrimonious relationship with the Christians. The fight we are fighting, is a fight for everybody, for justice,” he argued.
