Says Tinubu can pick Muslim running mate
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Friday said Bola Tinubu should be free to pick a Muslim vice-presidential candidate because he took a similar political decision in Kaduna that paid off.
The governor stated this during a television programme yesterday while reacting to the debate on whether the two major presidential candidates, Bola Tinubu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would pick Muslim running mates.
According to him, “In my State, I picked a very competent, qualified woman as my running mate in the 2019 elections. Just because she happens to be a Muslim, people are calling it a Muslim-Muslim ticket and said that we were going to lose; we didnt. We won overwhelmingly.
El Rufais comment targeted those who have spread claims that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, was planning to select a running mate of the same faith.
Recall that Tinubu won the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress on June 8 and has been facing pressure to promptly select a vice-presidential candidate. Since he is from the South, his running mate is generally expected to come from the northern part of the country. However, what has not been settled is the question of whether or not the person would be a Muslim or a Christian.
El-Rufa’i said Tinubus decision to pick a Muslim VP, which analysts have said may happen, would further drive a wedge between Nigerians and their fixation with religion.
Nigeria is at crossroads. We face very, very serious dangers in security, in economic meltdown, global issues are affecting us, and all people are concerned with as far as who will be president or vice president is concerned is religion. It is so sad. It is not our religion that will solve our problem, he affirmed.
