Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has dismissed the allegation that he has no regard for Christians.
Tinubu’s choice of Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election, has generated controversy from politicians, religious leaders and members of various faiths.
At an interactive session with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Tinubu dismissed those who described him as a religious bigot, saying the choice of the former Borno State Governor had nothing to do with religion.
He said he had nothing against Christianity, a faith which his wife and children practise.
“Why Senator Kashim Shettima? Why a same faith ticket? Well, I did not choose Senator Shettima so that we could form a same faith ticket. The ticket was constructed as a same progressive and people-based ideology ticket. I offer a confession. I selected Senator Shettima thinking more about who would best help me govern.”
“Picking a Christian running mate would have been politically easier. But the easy way is rarely the right one. The selection of a running mate is at once a very momentous yet very intimate decision. Resting such a key decision on religious affiliation as the primary weight did not sit well with me.
