Middle Belt Youth Forum describes APC decision to pick Shettima as callous and senseless

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been accused of ignoring Nigeria's Christian faithful by the Middle Belt Youth Forum (MBYF) following his decision to pick a fellow Muslim as his running mate.

Last  month, Asiwaju Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate after coasting home in a landslide victory following the party's convention in Abuja. Since then, however, he has laboured to select a running mate after publicly declaring that he will pick a Christian from the northeast geo-political zone as his deputy.

Yesterday, however, after weeks of prevarication, Asiwaju Tinubu ended up selecting a fellow Muslim in the form of the former Borno State governor Senator Kashim Shettima. His choice has polarised the country as the Christian faithful feel highly marginalised and in the northwest geo-political zone, some of the governors there had hoped to be picked.

MBYF president Terrence Kuanum lambasted the APC for ignoring the Christian faithful, describing the decision to pick a Muslim running mate as callous and senseless. He added that the party does not have the interest of Nigerians at heart, describing APC as an anti-people party.

Mr Kuanum said: “We note with sadness and utter disappointment the senseless and callous decision of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to pick former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima as his running mate. Although we anticipated that the party which has no regard for inclusiveness and fairness would go for a Muslim-Muslim ticket, we thought the party could for once, toe the line of honour, justice and fairness by taking into consideration the feelings of other Nigerians.

“We, therefore, condemn in totality, the unpopular, unsavoury, unnecessary and infamous show of shame by the APC as they intend to present a one-sided ticket to the people in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society in this age. We are not ethnic jingoists or religious bigots but we sure are not fans of politics of exclusion.”