Arewa Consensus Assembly has rejected moves to field same faith candidates as President and Vice President for 2023 general elections.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of a joint conference on northern political participation and power shift with the theme “Northern Agenda: Our Real Solution” jointly signed by Engineer Daniel Shawulu (Arewa Consensus Assembly), Suleman Makama (National Partnership campaign project) and Khalid Mohammed (Joint Participation for Development Initiatives) in Kaduna.
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The group described as “abhorrent unacceptable” and rejected a presidential and vice-presidential ticket dominated by candidates of the same faith, such as Muslim/Muslim saying, “Under no circumstances should any aspiring or hopeful political party or candidate be a consideration in the current national state of Nigeria.”
“The Joint Conference after considering religious demographics of Nigeria, sentiments, views and opinions across the country concludes and recommends that a more probable electorally ticket will be a Christian Southwestern candidate matched with a Muslim vice from the North”.
It said, though the joint conference made its deliberations, considerations and resolutions in the broader interest of the North, and not partisan or specific candidacy, the Joint Conference notes that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, SAN, fits and addresses the questions of balance, qualities and attributes expressed and resolved by the Joint Conference.
The group also said, “The true desire of the North is a better Nigeria for all where there is hope and fulfillment and that the North recognizes that there is an urgent responsibility to build and foster confidence between the different ethnicities and geo-political zones of Nigeria, as well as mitigate religious differences and insecurities between the people of Nigeria.”