Group comes for Babachir for condemning APC Muslim-Muslim ticket

A group, under the aegis of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, has berated the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, for opposing the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s choice of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

The group disapproved of Babachir's stance against the single faith presidential ticket featuring Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

Condemning the former SGF's outburst against the party, the group described Babachir's views on the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as “narrow-minded, unguarded political sentimentalism and provocative.”

In a statement released to the The Punch in Kaduna on Friday, July 15, 2022, the National President of the AYCF, Yerima Shettima, said Tinubu couldn't have made a better choice that picking the former Borno State Governor as his running mate.

He described Shetimma as a "nationalist" to the core, adding, “no one should turn our democratic space into the home of religious extremism.”

According to the AYCF, Babachir and his co-travellers “in their myopic, sentimental stance, should stop this madness in this new century of advancement all over the world.”

The statement added, “Talking of Muslim-Muslim ticket, have these charlatans become so blinded by emotional religious fixation that they forgot history?

“We had Christian-Christian ticket with Awolowo under the UPN in 1978 and Azikiwe under the UNPP when he picked Professor Ishaya Audu – another Christian as running mate.

“Since the emergence of democracy till date, the South-South, South-East states have never given the chance for Muslims to taste the seat of running mates even at the level of governorship.

“Anti-Shettima campaign promoters should shut up before they create bad blood along religious fault-lines and drag the nation into further insecurity.”

Pulse reports that the former SGF didn't hold back in his criticism of Tinubu's decision to favour a northern Muslim as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.

Lawal, in a note he personally signed on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, described the decision as a “disastrous error.”

The ex SGF, who backed Tinubu during the APC presidential primaries, said the choice of Mr Shettima was a sign that the APC presidential candidate has “been cornered by self-serving, hero-worshiping, lapdogs.”