Former Secretary to the government of the federation(SGF),Babachir Lawal,says the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election is designed mainly to sideline christians in the country.
Lawal said this on Wednesday in an interview with ARISE TV adding that Nigeria is Multi-religious country for a particular party to think of fielding same religion candidates.
Babachir Lawal,Yakubu Dogara and some other norther christians pulled out of APC following the decision of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to pick a Muslim as his running mate
Bola Tinubu from the south-west picked Kashim Shettima from the north-east, both Muslims, are the APC presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively.
Commenting on the development, Lawal said the northern Christian politicians remain opposed to the same-faith ticket by the APC.
“The introduction of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the APC or same faith ticket is a wicked plan to further create divisions within the north. We try as leaders of societies to live as brothers and sisters, but out of the blues, this demonic proposition just came out of the blues,” he said.
“For all lovers of unity in this country, in the north in particular where we are most affected, this ticket must never succeed. And we will make sure we defeat it in such a resounding manner that nobody in his right senses will ever think about it again at least in the near future for our political journey in Nigeria.
“So, we are set on it and we are determined to kill it. Our people are mobilised, and our people are ready for the election.
“I and Dogara alone aren’t the only ones involved in this. Indeed, we are leaders of groups of about 40 leading Christian politicians in the north. We started work on this years back when we suspected that if a Muslim emerges from the south as the candidate for any of the political parties, there is a risk of what has happened that will happen.
“Now, there are two issues here. First and foremost, we are politicians and our job is to win elections and form government. Second, when we looked at this ticket and decided principally, it excludes northern Christians from governance. It will not be wise for us to hand ourselves and exclude ourselves from the incoming government.
“So, while we plan that the same faith ticket of APC should fail, we also believe that we should align with one of the leading political parties that has the chance of wining.
“Our strategy is we will not just waste our votes because we want to protest the same faith ticket of APC. We will like to partner with another group that is more sensible to the Nigerian situation and realises that Nigeria needs harmony, unity and peace.”
Asked whether Nigerians can trust the integrity of INEC,Lawal said the current election management in the country are full of people with high caliber of integrity adding that President Muhammad Buhari would not in anyway support anybody to rig elections.
“As a consultant to INEC from 2003-2011,I know how the commission works. This current INEC has many professionals you can ever come across,I have an idea because I’m a Computer Engineer,I know how it works.
“Forget about rigging!In Nigeria,is an expert of everything. Anything you do, somebody somewhere will paint you black, that’s how Nigerians are,we are conspiracy theories.
He recalled how Buhari will always tell those working with him whenever there is any election to allow the will of the people to prevail
“The last thing Buhari will do is to allow rigging of election. I worked with him and at every election, Buhari will call us and say gentlemen;let us respect Nigerians and their PVC.
“Let us allow them cast their vote,count and announce the result. If the only thing I will leave for Nigerians is free and fair election,it’s a sufficient legacy for us”.
The former SGF further stressed that no single Nigerian can buy the votes of millions of Nigerians even if such person is given the whole Central Bank of Nigeria.
“I’ve been very active in politics since the return of democracy,I can assure you that nobody has sufficient amount of money to buy all the votes in Nigeria especially when it comes to the presidential election. You can not buy someone’s conscience.
“They said they have money,where is the money? We are not seeing any money flowing around. Even if all the Central Bank is given to you is not enough for you to become the President of Nigeria.
“If it’s about money,the sitting governor in Osun wouldn’t have lost the election to opposition despite all the merchineries deployed to the state.
“Presidential Candidate of APC who happened to be the God father to the sitting governor is from Osun State(so to say).Yet they lost the election”.
He urged Nigerians to trust INEC and the processes involved in the election.
“Go out and vote,your vote will count and announce.
“If they give you money,collect it and buy gaari. In this election,the winner would win and the looser would also loose.”