On Tinubu-Shettima: Who’s afraid of a Nigerian-Nigerian ticket?

My piece last week on the pairing of former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, on the same presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) generated quite a bit of interest and feedback among readers.

In the original article, I argued that the APC presidential platform is made up of two Nigerians and is, therefore, a Nigerian ticket like any other. Any other way of describing it, I said, would not only be discriminatory but also bigoted. I objected to the descriptions of the platform as a “Muslim-Muslim” ticket, and frowned particularly at those who say the ticket represents a satanic, evil or threatening development in our politics. Such characterisations of the APC ticket, I said, are not only bigoted but also amount to hate speech, since they reduce everything about the candidates to only their religious identity, which is then labelled as evil or threatening.

Finally, I said the pairing of any two Nigerians of the same faith on the same presidential ticket of any party represents the reality of Nigeria’s diversity, which has happened before and will very well happen again in the near future. We should, I concluded, view it as representing progress towards a more secular constitutional order for our country and embrace it as such because it can only lead us to a more perfect union as a nation. No more, no less.

By last week, many people—public commentators and citizens alike—had already had their say on the issue, but the article still generated interest among readers. Quite a few called me to discuss the article and the issue more broadly. Many more engaged me in a chat via text or WhatsApp messages. Given the significance of the issue and the range of feedback it generated, I thought it would be great to dedicate today’s column to the readers and reproduce a few of the responses, as space constraint would not allow me to reproduce all here for whatever it might be worth. I want to thank and commend everyone for the civil and friendly manner they sent in their comments, especially for those who disagreed with the article. Please enjoy:

In TINUBU-SHETTIMA: WHO IS AFRAID OF A NIGERIAN-NIGERIAN TICKET? You simply built upon the ongoing facts laid down for the sake of the well-intended critics of Muslim-Muslim ticket. Abia State former governor, now Senator Uzor Kalu said Christians are represented since Tinubu’s wife, Remi is a Christian pastor. Ondo State Gov Akeredolu says it is a choice of competence over religion. General Yakubu Gowon, a Northern Christian and the longest serving head of state in Nigeria (1966-1975) ruled Nigeria with a Southern Christian deputy for nine years. General Muhammadu Buhari, a Northern Muslim, ruled with General Tunde Idiagbon a fellow Northern Muslim from Kwara State during his military regime (1983 to 1985). During the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late MKO Abiola was the acclaimed winner under Muslim-Muslim ticket which he paired with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe. Some of the opponents of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket were among those who described the Abiola-Kingibe election as the most “free and fair in the nation’s history” (ironically organised by the so-called ‘Maradonic’ and ‘evil genius’ regime of General Ibrahim Babangida). When both the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo of UPN and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe of NPP themselves Southern Christians chose Northern and Southern Christians during the Second Republic headed by the late President Shehu Shagari (1979-1983), hardly did any one care. I laboured to show these examples because in the period before the ‘combative’ era of CAN, from the early 1980s to date, leaders were judged by their qualities or competence rather than their faith. Those who are blinded by bias, like the  former SGF Babachir Lawal, will hardly be convinced by rational explanation. That is why I regularly keep quoting Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, Media Trust chairman who as a columnist several years ago once wrote: “The problem with bias is, it is not erased even by good education”. Instead of holding the APC and by implication, the nation to ransom over the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the unconvinced have the democratic choice of trying another combination as may be offered by other political parties. (Garba Isa, Kano; 0802 916 9551)

Christians are afraid. Muslim-Muslim presidency would be catastrophic for ethnic and religious harmony. It is against Section 14, Sub-Section 3 of the 1999 constitution. Alhaji Buhari and APC are implementing sectarian agenda already. NO single religion/tribe can claim absolute knowledge or capacity to move Nigeria forward. (Richard, Abuja; 0818 …)

Oga Suleiman, your write up is a masterpiece. I am a Christian and lived in the North for 45 years. Your Nigerian-Nigerian Ticket is a BANG. Keep the good pen please. (John, Abuja 0811 …)

May Allah bless you for the back page article. In political matters, Christians in Nigeria show appalling ignorance. The world is driven by science and technology, not religion. Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio aptly said “A society can progress with unbelief but not with injustice”. The trouble is that Christians in Nigeria see everything from the prism of religion. As a person, I care less about a person’s religion but character. (Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, Abuja; 0803 …)

You shouldn’t forget that in the build up to the 2015 elections, religion was vigorously   used. So, you cannot blame Christians. More so, when a political party did not find a credible Christian from the North. So, for you, a Muslim-Muslim ticket is okay?! And it’s a great pity that with an enormous and almost unquestionable human and natural resources, the future remains very bleak for our youths and generations yet unborn. Thank you. (Reader; 0816 ….)

Your write-up on Tinubu-Shettima APC presidential ticket is apt and to the point. It has exposed some of the elementary considerations that block our progress. Church leaders must not see this and disseminate it as a threat! (Reader; 0803 …)

Salam Malam Suleiman and Eid Mubarak. I have just finished reading your today’s write-up “Tinubu-Shettima: Who’s afraid of a Nigerian-Nigerian ticket?” It’s straight, incisive and courageous as usual! You’re certainly to me a fitting replacement for Muhammed Haruna as far as style, pungency and courageous defence of what we consider important as northerners and Muslims are concerned. May you live long in good health and prosperity, amen. (Lawyer, 0803 …)

It is not Muslim-Muslim ticket that will fail APC, but tribal sentiment of the VP when he was a governor and his successor. I am in Borno and I know what we encountered during his days and now. (Reader; 0803 …)

You have rendered a great service to our fatherland, Nigeria, through your frankness and solidarity in mending a broken wall of tolerance and brotherhood. Nigeria has never been subjected to all sorts of ridicules it now surfers under religious actors who are expected to preach tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It’s shameful that the so-called nationalists are the main actors fueling war and brigandage. Dividing Nigeria along a religious line will serve no one any good. Being a Muslim or Christian does not reduce anyone from being a Nigerian. (Kassim H., Sapele; 0802 …)