PT State of the Race: Dogara and Lawal Lead Insurgency in APC on Same Tinubu Ticket of Faith
The crisis around the Muslim-Muslim All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket deepened last week as some members vowed on Friday to campaign and vote against the party in the 2023 general election on the question.
They stated this position at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit convened by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and a former Secretary to the Federation Government (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
Bola Tinubu's choice last month of Kashim Shettima as his running mate has become an albatross on his neck. The choice had sparked an uproar in the political system, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) taking the same religious composition of the ticket as an assault on the Christian faith in Nigeria. Mr. Tinubu and the former governor of Borno are both Muslims. The association is incandescent that despite his protests, Mr. Tinubu went ahead neglecting Christian options.
Alleged 'false bishops' during Shettima's unveiling as Mr. Tinubu's running mate.The protest escalated last week after some people in office robes were portrayed as CAN representatives during Mr Shettima's public presentation in Abuja. angrily denied the clerics, giving rise to the "false bishops" controversy.
Dogara, Lawal insurrectionBut even so strident was Mr. Tinubu's near anger. Former SGF Mr Lawal was part of his campaign team during the party's primary and had also led a team strategy committee which advised him on who to choose as his running mate after his landslide victory in the primary .
However, Mr. Tinubu's choice of Mr. Shettima, another Muslim, left Mr. Lawal appalled. He has since taken it upon himself to ruin the ticket. He initially urged President Muhammadu Buhari to veto Mr Shettima's choice, but the president ignored his plea. Since then, his battle cry has been "To your tent, O Israel".
The crisis around the Muslim-Muslim All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket deepened last week as some members vowed on Friday to campaign and vote against the party in the 2023 general election on the question.
They stated this position at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit convened by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and a former Secretary to the Federation Government (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
Bola Tinubu's choice last month of Kashim Shettima as his running mate has become an albatross on his neck. The choice had sparked an uproar in the political system, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) taking the same religious composition of the ticket as an assault on the Christian faith in Nigeria. Mr. Tinubu and the former governor of Borno are both Muslims. The association is incandescent that despite his protests, Mr. Tinubu went ahead neglecting Christian options.
Alleged 'false bishops' during Shettima's unveiling as Mr. Tinubu's running mate.The protest escalated last week after some people in office robes were portrayed as CAN representatives during Mr Shettima's public presentation in Abuja. angrily denied the clerics, giving rise to the "false bishops" controversy.
Dogara, Lawal insurrectionBut even so strident was Mr. Tinubu's near anger. Former SGF Mr Lawal was part of his campaign team during the party's primary and had also led a team strategy committee which advised him on who to choose as his running mate after his landslide victory in the primary .
However, Mr. Tinubu's choice of Mr. Shettima, another Muslim, left Mr. Lawal appalled. He has since taken it upon himself to ruin the ticket. He initially urged President Muhammadu Buhari to veto Mr Shettima's choice, but the president ignored his plea. Since then, his battle cry has been "To your tent, O Israel".
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