Shettima Knocks Babachir Lawal Over Comment On Muslim-Muslim Ticket

The National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, has berated the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over his comment on the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Naija News reports that Lawal had on Tuesday condemned the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, over his choice of the former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.

The former SGF also in another interview on Thursday said that the Muslim-Muslim ticket has sown the seed of possible problems for the ruling party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, Shettima stated that the former SGF was narrow-minded in his reactions to the Muslim-Muslim controversy.

Shettima stated that Lawal’s comments regarding the issue are myopic, unguarded political sentimentalism and provocative, asking him to stop attacking the APC.

The AYCF National President claimed that there could be no better choice of Vice President for Tinubu than the former Borno Governor.

He described Shettima as a nationalist and loyal politician, adding no one should turn the country’s democratic space into the home of religious extremism.

The statement read in part: “Talking of Muslim-Muslim ticket, have these charlatans become so blinded by emotional religious fixation that they forgot history?

“We had Christian-Christian ticket with Awolowo under the UPN in 1978 and Azikiwe under the UNPP when he picked Professor Ishaya Audu – another Christian as running mate.

“Since the emergence of democracy till date, the South-South, South-East states have never given the chance for Muslims to taste the seat of running mates even at the level of governorship.

“Anti-Shettima campaign promoters should shut up before they create bad blood along religious fault-lines and drag the nation into further insecurity.”