From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Stakeholders in Christian-dominated Southern Kaduna have described the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna State as an affront to the dignity of the people of the region.
The State APC governorship candidate, Senator Uba Sani, had a penultimate week announced governor Nasir El-Rufai’s Deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, a fellow Muslim as his running mate for the 2023 governorship election.
However, Southern Kaduna people who are mainly Christians expressed shock over such an appointment, wondering if there was no single Christian member of the APC from the zone that was qualified to be a running mate to the APC candidate even when they formed the most educated, experienced, exposed and loyal party officials in the State.
This was even as a Kaduna-based Islamic Cleric, Sheik Haliru Abdullahi Maraya has said that it is wrong for any Muslim to support a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
Maraya who is the former Special Adviser to the late Governor Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State on Islamic Matters and Hajj said such one faith joint ticket is at variance with the spirit of justice which the religion of Islam promotes and defends at all times.
“For a political party to have Muslims as its National Chairman, Presidential candidate and Vice-Presidential candidate, such a party is indeed not in a position to say it promotes and defends the spirit of justice, fairness and equity.”
But for Kaduna State Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Joseph Hayab said political parties fielding same faith tickets will not make Christians lose sleep over such insult and intimidation.
“Why would anyone worry about a Muslim-Muslim ticket when there are several options and there are even Christian candidates in some political parties.
“Those who used to argue about 1993 or any previous election that fielded a Muslim-Muslim ticket should know that times have changed.
“What I will tell Christians in Kaduna State is that there are several political parties, if one says it doesn’t need you, go for another.
“The constitution says leadership in Nigeria should reflect federal character to promote unity. Those who think they don’t need us, there is no problem”.
Reacting to the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the Spokesman of SOKAPU, Mr Luka Binniyat said: “Let me start by saying that SOKAPU is not partisan. But that does not mean that SOKAPU is not interested in the party that will bring in good governance and advance Kaduna state and Nigeria. That’s why we inaugurated a political committee in May this year to that effect.
“Before now, the President of SOKAPU, Jonathan Asake has made it clear that any political party that does not take into cognisance and respect, especially, the religious and ethnic diversity of Kaduna State and Nigeria, our people shall be mobilised to reject such a party at the 2023 polls.
“And that echoes the resentment of all right-thinking and fair-minded residents of the state, including Muslims and Christians on this matter.
“In 2019, governor Nasir El-Rufai brought in a fellow Muslim in the person of Dr Hadiza Balarabe as his running mate to spite us Christians and make a statement that Muslims alone can produce a governor in Kaduna State.
But it is not a hidden fact that even the most ardent supporters of the governor believe that el-Rufai did not win the 2019 gubernatorial election despite the outcome of the electoral tribunal.
All fair-minded residents of Kaduna state believe that el-Rufai couldn’t have won the 2019 elections with his inhuman policies, tragic security situation and the introduction of strange all-Muslim tickets.
Kaduna state has an estimated 10.3 million residents fairly divided between its Muslim North and Christian South, though the Christian side has 12 of the 23 LGAs of Kaduna state.
“That Senator Uba Sani still decided on the same Muslim-Muslim ticked of el-Rufai is to confirm the fears of Southern Kaduna that the Senator has no reconciliatory intention with Southern Kaduna if elected.
“It is also to confirm that the exclusive, discriminatory and biased policies of el-Rufai towards the people of Southern Kaduna would be sustained if not made worse when Uba Sani is elected governor.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC in Kaduna state is an affront to the dignity of the people of Southern Kaduna who are mainly Christians.
“It is to say that not a single Christian member of the APC from Southern Kaduna is qualified to be a running mate to the APC candidate even when they form the most educated, experienced, exposed and loyal spectrum of the APC in the state.
“This is the kind of disrespect to the sensibilities and the insult to the collective wellbeing of Southern Kaduna that we have had to endure through the horrible years of APC under Nasir el-Rufai.
“The outcome of such misadventure by the APC will surely be spelt out at the 2023 polls. And the joy is that our people, like in the past, will do everything legally possible to defend our votes against any predatory party. In a nutshell, SOKAPU rejects the Muslim-Muslim ticket of APC in Kaduna State.”