Former Minister and National Chairman of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2023(SWAGA) Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, has admonished the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to address the issue of zoning which the party brazenly jettisoned rather than attempting to whip sentiment on Muslim- Muslim ticket.
The APC had fielded a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as presidential candidate and a former Governor of Borno State,Senator Kashim Shettima, as vice-presidential runningmate.
Responding issues bothering on Tinubu/Shetimma ticket Adeyeye said, “the PDP is trying very hard to put the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket on the front burner. But to me and for any patriotic Nigerian, it is a mere distraction. It is a desperate attempt by the PDP to clutch at any straw at all when they are just too aware that they are headed for the dungeon.
Adeyeye argued that ” the bigger issue is the fact that the opposition party jettisoned its North-South power rotation formula, which is prescribed by its constitution, and not the APC flying a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023.
“So, those who are promoting this should know too well that they are just desperate to clutch any straw to keep them afloat because it is their futile attempt to prevent their dropping into the bottom of the sea.”he said
The SWAGA Boss urged that Christians should be rest assured because of the fact that Tinubu has a Christian wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, saying, “It is enough comfort to anybody – for the Christendom.”
He said, “So, I believe that the issue of the Muslim-Muslim ticket will soon fade away. What will not face away is the issue of the zone from which the president (presidential candidate) is coming from.
The APC chieftain said ” on the day of election, people will ask themselves, ‘Do I want power to remain in one region or I want it to go to the other side to maintain balance?’
“That is the issue. And I believe the PDP, knowing full well that it has violated that key principle, which is contained in its constitution, which its members expected, which Nigerians expected from it, they are trying to find ways to distract Nigerians but Nigerians cannot be distracted..
“In 1993, the issue before Nigerians was that power should rotate, not the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Even Alhaji Atiku Abubakar himself wanted to be running mate to MKO Abiola. We all knew that. But MKO Abiola opted for (Babagana) Kingibe. So, it was not an issue for him then. Why should Muslim-Muslim ticket be an issue for him now? He wanted to be running mate to Abiola who was a Muslim then.
According to the SWAGA chairman, APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket is what will unify Nigeria.
” Nigerians will see that it is fair to all. “We may even have a situation in which people will begin to think of reverse discrimination, because these two persons will make every effort to please everybody – to please the Christian fold if not more than their Muslim brothers because they don’t want to create an impression that they are against any religion,” he said.