Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola, and South African chapter of the ruling party yesterday threw their weight behind the Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket.
Fayemi allayed the fears of Christians, saying that the same-faith ticket of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima was not meant to undermine the Christian community, but a calculated strategy to win next year’s poll.
Fashola said Tinubu is the best among the candidates, urging Nigerians to elevate capacity over religion.
Emami urged critics to desist from demonising the APC ticket, adding that they should do away with sentiment and pay attention to competence and the need to engender good governance.
South Africa APC assured that Tinubu and Shettima will deliver good governance because they have the competence and capacity.
Fayemi spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at the weekend during a courtesy visit by the new executives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ekiti Ekiti State Chapter, led by its Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Aribasoye.
He said the choice of a Muslim running mate was not because there were no competent Christian politicians from the North as being erroneously peddled in some quarters.
He said the responsibility of the church where social justice is being preached should include looking at the challenges being faced by Christians community and seeking how good governance can address them.
He urged Christian leaders to eschew what he called “the theology of disengagement” and embrace politics by converting the current challenge to an opportunity to present a charter of demands to all political candidates, based on irreducible minimum conditions acceptable to Christendom.
Fayemi said: “Many Christians see politics as a dirty game, and for this reason are disengaged from the political process. It’s time for us to realise that there are compelling reasons for Christians to participate in politics. In my own opinion, whatever makes us good Christians makes us good citizens.”
“The Christian leadership should use this current challenge as an opportunity to present a charter of demands to all political candidates, especially our party (APC), outlining the irreducible minimum conditions acceptable to Christians in the next political dispensation. A charter of demands that would represent those values you preach to us in church highlighting our concerns, stressing the place of Christendom in the Nigeria project and then placing our demands before the political leaders. I want the Church to organise debates around issues of concerns among all the candidates.”
Fashola, who featured on Channels’ Television ‘Sunday Politics’ said Tinubu will make positive impact on the country.
According to Fashola, Tinubu is the best person among the candidates to drive the vehicle of prosperity for Nigeria.
Speaking on his relationship with Tinubu, Fashola said: “My relationship with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is good.
“I’m involved in his aspirations and I’ve been playing my role. I don’t need to come to the public space to announce my intervention.”
On Tinubu’s capacity, the minister said: “Asiwaju is the best person to drive the vehicle of prosperity for Nigeria.
“I say this because I know him. I have worked with him, I know him; he has the tenacity, capacity, vision and focus to turn things around for this country.”
On the Muslim -Muslim ticket, the minister said: “We should take away religion from our public life. Let us leave religion to where it belongs. We should be more concerned on who can do the work.
“We should stop being afraid. Who cares who provides what we need?
Fashola said that many of those who cause security breaches, killing and maiming under the guise of religion were not part of any of the two popular religion – Christianity and Islam because both religions preach peace.
To him, religion should be left to religious centres, homes and not in public space.
