The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will pay dearly for its decision to run a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 polls, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, has said.
According to him, religion will play a major role in next year’s elections.
Lawal, who spoke at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit Abuja 2022, on Friday, warned that the ruling party should be ready for the consequences of same faith ticket in 2023.
He said blaming Christians and heaping insults on Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will not get APC anywhere.
He said: “The PVC and prayers will be our weapon of choice and we will mercifully deploy them in 2023. We will not give up until we get Justice.
“I have heard friends and colleagues within and even outside the APC express some shock and even disbelieve over our reaction to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections.
“Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced the Deputy Governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna States. Now it is wholly Muslim-Muslim tickets.
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“It is worth noting that all these are happening in APC-controlled states. They are threatening to do likewise in Gombe, Kogi and Adamawa States.
“It is also now a recurring practice in the north whereby any Christian traditional ruler that dies is replaced with a Muslim prince albeit from the ruling family even if the most qualified and preferred prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri Chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds.
“Proof of its anti-Christian agenda is that our party itself has completely eliminated northern Christians from its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC).
“All our protestations as party members have been completely ignored by the party leadership. But as members of the APC, we have the right to continue to express our indignation at these happenings and will not give up until we secure the justice that is due us.”
On why he went down on memory lane, Lawal also said:“The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for the APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a longterm political strategy and not a one-off decision.
“Thus, all this talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.
“Christians all over the country see this Muslim Muslim ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench religion into the politics of this country.
“This, of course, will lead to further disharmony in the hitherto fragile co-existence of the Nigerian society, disrupt peace and hamper both social and economic development of the country.”
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