Christian-Christian Presidential Ticket Not Possible In Nigeria – PDP Declares, SDP Differs

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have differed about the probability of a Christian-Christian presidential ticket suggested by the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Oluremi Tinubu.

According to the Spokesperson of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, Tinubu’s suggestion about the Christian-Christian ticket is not possible in Nigeria taking into consideration how the North objected to it.

Bwala queried how such would be possible in a country like Nigeria, noting that even the APC flag bearer who has been criticised for his Muslim- Muslim choice knows the predicaments he has faced.

Naija News gathered that the PDP spokesman told Punch that even the Church that Oluremi Tinubu attends did not hold the view of having a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in Nigeria.

His reaction is against the backdrop that Mrs Tinubu has during one of her campaign rallies suggested that Nigerians should support her husbands’ Muslim ticket and afterwards a Christian-Christian ticket can happen.

This platform recalls that Tinubu at the APC South-West women’s presidential rally at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos State opined that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC would set a new tone in the country’s political landscape after 2023.

However, Bwala submitted that the statement by the wife of the APC flag bearer “does not hold water.”

He advanced that “In Nigeria, it’s not possible. How can there be a Christian-Christian ticket in a country like ours? Being that to justify the fact that her husband has himself in a predicament of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which at the beginning they thought only the minority Christians will be complaining about.

“But you can now see when Dogara and certain stakeholders from the North-East, which comprises of highly respected Muslim brothers and Islamic clerics, said that it is not welcomed. It is not just one state saying no, it is something the entire nation is saying.

“So what she is saying does not hold water. Even the Church she works as a pastor even the Redeemed pastor is not in support of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.”

He queried saying “What were you expecting her to say? That the ticket is bad when she is already in it?”

Meanwhile, Naija News learnt that different from Bwala’s view, the factional National Secretary of the SDP Alpha Muhammed suggested that nothing is wrong with having a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in Nigeria.

Muhammed told Punch that if Nigeria has witnessed an APC Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, then an otherwise situation is possible.

He noted that APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket was only criticised by those who had lost out of the 2023 calculation and who failed to get the vice-presidential slot of the APC.

The SDP chieftain said, “Those against the Muslim-Muslim ticket are politicians who have observed that they are losing the 2023 calculation. They are trying to influence their selfish interest because they expected so much that they will get the VP slot, for themselves and now that they didn’t get it, they believe nobody should get it.

“Nigerians are not bothered about the religion of the president or the vice president and now we have a sitting vice-president what added advantage has he given the Nigerian system to the lives of Nigerian people?

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket we are talking about Tinubu himself has a Christian wife, a pastor. For anybody crying that the Christians are not comfortable under such a leader is just making a comment. If you look at the situation in the country why should a Christian in the first place feel threatened by any Muslim? Most of the people in the current banditry and religious fanatic attacks are Muslims, the whole of Zamfara attacks are on Muslims.

“It is unfortunate, unserviceable and of the highest level of hypocrisy for Christians to be shouting. At least there is an attack that is regulated or controlled against Christians in Nigeria, is not so. Muslims are dying in Katsina, Borgu and everywhere, even last week a Mosque was attacked and a kidnapping was carried out, it is Nigerians that are victims not Christians anymore.

“Is about Nigeria, for anybody to be whipping up religious sympathy is unfortunate, there is handy work of politicians who are losing out of 2023 election victory. The only leadership that can bring election confidence is the Muslim-Muslim ticket. There is a possibility that the Christian-Christian ticket is near.”