The Northern group of Christians and Muslims opposed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 elections have opted to adopt a consensus presidential candidate.
The group took the decision on Saturday after a consultative meeting, where it issued a strongly worded communique.
The group is led by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
The communique issued at the end of the meeting on Sunday said those in attendance agreed not to support the ticket of the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, for the poll, but work together and jointly to adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that would engender unity, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging among Nigerian citizens.
The communique, signed by Dogara and a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and ex-Minister of Water Resources, Mukhari Shagari, said: “Conscious of multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria we believe a same faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation building.
“Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matter that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitives issues bordering on religion in the name of politics. In view of the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives set forth in this resolution.”
Those in attendance at the meeting were said to include former Governor of Adamwa State, Boni Haruna; former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed; Dogara; Lawal; former Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango; Idris Ahmed Umar; Yomi Awoniyi; Simon Achuba; Ummara Kumalia; Baba Shehu Agaie; Monday Morgan; Ishaya Bauka; Mohammed Sani Sidi; John Bawa; Iliya Stephen Msheliza; Sarah Allabeh-Nanpon; Shina Ibiyemi; and Auwalu Anwar.