The Christian Youths Movement for Tinubu/Shettima, a support group for Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said that the positions of Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation are still available for Christians to get in 2023.
The group’s position comes amid criticisms trailing the choice of the former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as Tinubu’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
In a statement on Friday, signed by its National Coordinator and Public Relations Officer, Adeleke Emmanuel and Ogumah Segun, the youth group said that while some of the comments on the Muslim-Muslim ticket were genuine, some were outright expressions of disappointment from certain quarters for fear of being left out of political permutations.
The statement read, “It is no longer news that after the APC presidential primary where a Muslim-Muslim ticket emerged, the newspapers and other media outlets have been awash with various comments as to the rightness or otherwise of the decision by Tinubu to pick a Muslim like himself as a running mate.
“While some of the comments around that decision were genuine, some were outright expression of disappointment from certain quarters for fear of being left out of political permutations. While religious diversity may be considered sensitive and important for balance and stability, we need to draw our priorities right, to decide on moving Nigeria forward at a period of serious global economic challenges, not just sentiments that have not been of direct benefit to people.
“As Christian youths, we hold the view that sentiments and concerns being expressed on the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC is promoted more as blackmail without considering its divisive implications which have stunted our growth and development as nation.
“We do strongly hold that Christians must be recognised as critical stakeholders in our nation, we do not, however, believe that it is only through the Vice Presidents’ office we can only be represented. Considering the quality of the APC presidential candidate and his running mate, it is time we come to term with existing realities, up our games and channel our agitations towards other political offices with more independent capacities than a second fiddle capacity as Vice President.
“The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, SGF and other offices can come to the Christians fold.
“We, at Christian Youths Movement, are calling on Nigerians, regardless of all divides, to allow leaders like Tinubu and Shettima with capacity, experience and international connections steer the ship of our country to prosperity.”