Keyamo defends Tinubu-Shettima, claiming that the government is not there to support religious views.

Festus Keyamo, the minister of state for labour and employment, defended the All Progressives Congress (APCchoice )’s of Kashim Shettima and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a ticket for the 2023 presidential election on Monday.

Keyamo criticised Nigerians who criticised the choice based on religious diversity, stating that the government should be concerned with fostering growth for all citizens.

Yesterday in Daura, Katsina State, the former governor of Lagos State revealed the former governor of Borno State as his running partner.

He characterised Shettima as having the necessary expertise and capacity to deliver.

Many Nigerians, however, claimed that the ruling party’s move ignored the nation’s religious diversity.

Keyamo commented on the development via his verified Twitter account, emphasising that the purpose of government was not to stroke people’s egos.

He added that the duo would offer Nigerians quality leadership which would facilitate needed development in the country.

“Governement doesn’t exist to assuage the egos of religious leaders, but to bring about development for everyone. Today, most religious leaders in Nigeria go to Dubai and the USA for shopping and holidays when the UAE is being governed by Muslims and the USA is being governed by Christians.

“There’s no country in the world where history tells us that its development was as a result of ‘balanced’ presidential tickets (in terms of religion) over the years; countries developed as a result of visionary leadership and not because they pandered to some religious sentiments”, he noted.