APC chieftain, Adamu Garba urges Nigerians to shun religious sentiment in choice of leaders
by Ebor Cletus Ralph Jr
Adamu Garba, a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised the criticism that followed the party’s selection of a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election on Saturday.
Garba joined the Young Peoples Party for a short time before rejoining the APC earlier this month (YPP).
Since the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, selected the former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate for the election, the APC has faced harsh criticism from the country’s Christian population.
Yakubu Dogara, a former House of Representatives speaker, and Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the government of the federation, said the APC’s choice to run a Muslim-Muslim ticket was unacceptable during a meeting with northern Christian leaders on Friday in Abuja.
Garba, who reacted to the development on his Twitter handle, warned Nigerians against mixing religion with politics.
He also challenged the citizens to shun religious sentiment in their choice of leaders next year.
He wrote: “The insecurity, joblessness and corruption bedevilling us since independence have to do with toxic religious politics.
“Many of those who plundered our public goods diverted the proceeds to their families and religious patrons, not you. You won’t hear them complain when they are in the game. Religion to them is used to manipulate you, as they do now, when they lose out. Reject them!”
