The All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, has appealed to Nigerians to ignore religious sentiment being raised on the party’s choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as its 2023 Vice Presidential candidate.
Ajaka made the appeal through a statement on Monday in Abuja while reacting to sentiments being expressed largely by opposition political parties on APC’s choice of Shettima.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, APC’s 2023 presidential candidate in Daura, Katsina State, announced Shettima, a Muslim and a former two-term governor of Borno State, as his running mate.
Tinubu, also a former two-term governor of Lagos State and one of the leaders of the APC, had gone to Daura to pay Sallah homage on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Shettima is currently representing Borno Central in the National Assembly.
Ajaka, while commending Tinubu’s choice, said the fears being expressed in some quarters only exist in the imagination of opposition political parties.
The APC spokesman described Shettima as the best choice for the APC to win the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
According to him, the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had been thrown off balance since Shettima was announced as APC’s Vice-Presidential candidate, hence the noise and their agony.
Ajaka said Shettima was a man of knowledge, accomplishment, courage and integrity, who was not given to bigotry, or having corruption badges with any anti-corruption agencies.
He added that the sterling qualities of Shettima as APC’s Vice-Presidential candidate, had once again thrown the opposition parties off balance.
“The PDP and others would have preferred our presidential candidate to settle for the less to make it easy for them to win election.
“But the choice of the trusted and trust worthy Shettima must have disorganised their evil plans.
“While we sympathise with the opposition parties, we appeal to Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under Tinubu-Shettima presidency, to see beyond the sentiments of religion and tribe.
“Both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are not religious fundamentalists or ultra Muslims; their records in public offices are testimonies to rely on,” he said.