All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu met on Thursday with some Christian clerics under the aegis of the Forum of Pentecostal Bishops of Northern Nigeria.
The clergymen, led by John Praise, presiding bishop of the Dominion Chapel International Church, met with Mr. Tinubu in Abuja.
At the meeting, Mr. Tinubu informed the clerics that several names were shortlisted as his running mate, but that he chose Kashim Shettima because of the way he (Shettima) protected Christians while governor of Borno state.
Tinubu meets with Christian leaders from the north
Mr. Tinubu told the delegation that his intention is clear, which is to develop the country. He added that he is one of the best friends of the Christian community in Nigeria.
“How will Nigeria develop? How do we banish hunger, improve security and eliminate the killing of one another? That is what we should bring to the office, not our religion. When the shortlisted names came in, I looked at their characters, their backgrounds and everything.
“Yes, someone so brilliant, so committed, that during the Borno crisis he had protected Christians. My intention is clear, not religiously. My intention is to develop this country, bring prosperity. I have better grades, a better track record, and better vision than any of my peers.
“Why do we want to remain divided? I stand before you because I have one of the best friends in the Christian community in this country. Let’s develop intellectual curiosity. To build an understanding. Where to Nigeria.
Tinubu meets with northern Christian leaders Muslim/Muslim ticket
The decision of Mr. Tinubu, a Muslim from the south, to choose Mr. Shettima, a Muslim from the north, as his running mate still generates a backlash in some sectors of the country.
the Nigerian Christian Association (CAN) had strongly opposed it. During the presentation of Mr. Shettima as a candidate for the vice presidency of the APC in Abuja, the CAN repudiated the clerics who attended the event, calling them false bishops.
APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Kashum Shettima.
Similarly, some Northern APC politicians belonging to the Christian faith have vowed to defeat the Muslim/Muslim ticket.
On Tuesday, former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara called on Christians not to waste their votes on a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
Similarly, on Wednesday, Babachir Lawal, former secretary of the federation government, during an interview on Arise TV, said that it will be mobilizing supporters to defeat the Muslim/Muslim ticket.
