Muslim-Muslim Ticket: ‘PDP Killed Zoning For Atiku Abubakar’s Selfish Interest’

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for tackling the ruling party’s decision to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Naija News reports that the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, had announced Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

The choice of Shettima as running mate has drawn widespread condemnation as it makes the ticket that of same-faith (Muslim-Muslim) in a secular state.

However, the PDP, on its part, jettisoned its zoning arrangement to open its ticket to all regions of Nigeria, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar grabbing it.

In a statement on Tuesday, Nabena said the PDP had lost its moral right to criticize Tinubu over his choice of Shettima.

He said the PDP is trying to distract Nigerians from its earlier decision to zone its presidential ticket to a northerner, despite knowing that the current president is also a northerner.

Nabena pointed out that Nigeria had a Buhari-Idiagbon Muslim-Muslim ticket and a Gowon-Adewale Christian-Christian ticket in the past, and heaven did not fall.

“I remember that when Action Congress of Nigeria fielded two Muslims, Nuhu Ribadu, and Fola Adeola, in 2011, there was no cry by the opposition because the ticket stood no chance of winning,” he said.

“I believe Nigerians should be more worried about the reasons the PDP jettisoned the conventional power rotation between the North and the South instead of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“How fair is it that we are agitating for fairness and equity to share power between Christians and Muslims while completely ignoring and alienating our African Traditional Worshippers?

“Nigeria should worry more about the zoning arrangement which the PDP has just killed for their selfish interest and desperation of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar because for Atiku, it is the last chance which will become one-chance for him by 2023.”