The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has stated that no individual within the ruling All Progressives Congress has the authority to speak for Northern Christians.
Keyamo’s statement came after Northern APC Christian members kicked against formally rejected the party’s controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 election during a summit on Friday, claiming that the ticket contradicts all the principles of equity, fairness and justice.
The leaders, who spoke during the event, were a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; a former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; a former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung; and Senator Ishaku Abbo (Adamawa North).
While claiming that the ticket, a combination of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashin Shettima, was an attempt to further divide the country, the aggrieved members said it must be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians.
Reacting to the development in a statement released on his verified Twitter handle in the early hours of Saturday, Keyamo said, “I am not aware that the Northern Christians within the APC family met anywhere to appoint spokespersons on their behalf.
“They will vote according to their individual conscience. Nobody has the authority to speak on behalf of every adherent of a particular faith within a party.
“Also & with the greatest respect, I am not aware that we have an official stratification of APC Northern Christians or Muslims in our great party.
“They are all APC members, simpliciter, and they registered as such into the party, not on the platforms of their different faiths.”
