2023: I Thank God I Am Not Tinubu's Running Mate, Says Dogara
- Honourable Yakubu Dogara, has continues his campaign against the APC's Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket
- The former Speaker of the House of Representatives says same faith ticket is dangerous and can lead to crisis in Nigeria
- Dogara also dismissed suggestions that he is against the APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket because he was not chose as the party's vice presidential candidate
Bauchi - Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, has declared that he is grateful he is not Bola Ahmed Tinubu's running mate in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
The Nigerian Tribune newspaper reports that Dogara made the comment during an interaction with journalists in Bauchi recently.
Source: Getty Images
Dogara was reacting to a question that he is not supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate because he was not chosen as the vice presidential candidate of the ruling party.
His words:
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“I guess that’s the only sensible thing to say if you want to deflect attention from the stark reality of prebendal politics that excludes nearly half the country.
“With the benefit of a hindsight, I am more than grateful to God that it didn’t happen and so many friends and well wishers have also said to me they are thanking God daily that I am not on that ticket granted what they now see and know about the candidate.
“Do you think most of the people following Tinubu today are blind? They see the danger but their bellies are open sepulchers so they price the food they anticipate would be on the table above national interest.”
Dogara also stated that Nigerians should be wary of those promoting the APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He said:
“The point I am trying to make is that those who promote same faith ticket and same faith voting are not just crazy, they are dangerous. They are as dangerous as those purveyors of hate on the basis of tribe or creed who demonise entire tribes and races.
“The truth is that if good people like you and I do not rise up to stop them, those who are crazy enough to believe they will stop us from building an inclusive society will truly succeed in destroying this nation that we cherish so much.
“So, we have an obligation to rise against those dangerous voices of hate and stereotypes and not just rise against them, but to quieten them so that all of us can collectively make history and build this country.
“This is why I will never support a Christian-Christian ticket or a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation like Nigeria.”
2023: Nigeria not ripe for Muslim-Muslim ticket- Wike
Similarly, Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has said Nigeria is “not ripe” for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
According to a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, spokesman to the governor and seen by Legit.ng, Wike said it is important to ensure fair representation in the country’s political setting.
2023: CSO writes INEC, demands delisting of Tinubu as presidential candidate
Meanwhile, a civil society organisation the Action Alliance of Virginia Pavilion, has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, to disqualify Tinubu from the 2023 presidential contest.
The group in a letter seen by Legit.ng on Tuesday, December 13, stated that Tinubu by virtue of his forfeiture of the sum of $460, 000 to the United States government in 1993 is not fit to hold public office.
In the letter dated Monday, November 14 and signed by the group's lawyer, Mr Kalu Kalu, the group argued that Section 137(1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution forbids anyone under a fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud from vying for the office of president in Nigeria.
2023: APC selling comedy of blunders, party chieftain says, dumps Tinubu
On his part, Chief Ray Morphy, a chieftain of the APC from Cross River state, has left the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Rejecting Tinubu, Chief Morphy, a former special adviser to the party's former national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, said the country deserves more than the comedy of gaffes APC is trying to sell to Nigerians.
Morphy, a leader in the party's presidential campaign council in 2019, was also a pioneer member of The Buhari Organisation.
Source: Legit.ng
