Osinbajo Reacts to The Adoption of a Muslim-Muslim Ticket

July 12, 2022July 12, 2022 National 0 Comments

From Ogundele Olanrewaju

Osinbajo has expressed strong reservations over the establishment of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, according to a Presidency source.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has chosen former Lagos State Governor Kashim Shettima to run on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, which has put the former Lagos State Governor at odds with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is said to have warned that such an adoption would not augur well for the party and the country.

Even before being nominated as Vice President, Professor Adebayo Osinbajo had expressed opposition to a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the source claimed, adding that Osinbajo’s reservations were known to both the party and the flagbearer himself.

A Muslim-Muslim ticket, he allegedly told Tinubu, would only serve to marginalize Christians. Then, after becoming the APC’s presidential candidate, President Buhari took the same stance and refused to choose Tinubu as his running mate.

He advised APC leaders and Tinubu not to put together an uneven ticket, saying that it would be untenable and unnecessary to do so.

remarked the source: “The Vice President explained that a balanced ticket’s logic, fairness, and justice are indisputable. The claim that merit should take precedence over the balance between Muslims and Christians is a false dichotomy. It’s not one or the other; it’s a combination of both. If you’re looking for a balanced ticket, you can get it.” An unbalanced ticket, according to the vice-president, increases unnecessary friction and worsens some of the country’s fault lines. Nevertheless, a well-balanced slate is a good indicator.

Some other registered parties are thought to be making arrangements to form a new coalition with Vice President Osinbajo, who is viewed as the best option for a credible and faith-balanced presidential candidate in Nigeria’s next election, following Sunday’s statement. A source has confirmed that a meeting has been scheduled to discuss this possibility.