As it was with the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since the declaration of a running mate to its presidential candidate, all is not well within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly since Sunday when its flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, endorsed Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
That choice of Muslim-Muslim ticket has provoked spirited and intense reactions from different quarters.?
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What occurs to be a crack within the fold of the APC ensued, on Tuesday night, when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a Tinubu ally, Babachir Lawal, who headed the panel set up to assist Asiwaju to pick a running mate, opposed the choice of the former Borno State Governor, Shettima, describing the all-Muslim pairing as a terrible error.?
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While the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, on Wednesday, portrayed the Muslim-Muslim ticket as an act of God, convincing that Christians have nothing to fear, the party, yesterday, suspended the official unveiling of Shettima as its vice presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.?
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Tinubu declared Shettima as his running mate on Sunday, after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at his private home in Daura, Katsina State, saying Shettima was selected to enable good governance, but the APC declined to officially declare him as Tinubu’s running mate four days after.?