TheCable

The Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation says the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate picked Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno, as his running mate for the benefit of the country.

The decision of Tinubu to pick Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as his running mate has drawn widespread criticisms.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, the campaign’s director of media and communication, said the former governor of Borno has a “good track record of development”.

Onanuga said if the APC standard bearer wanted to cash in on ethnicity, he would have chosen a running mate from the north-west geo-political zone “which has the highest number of registered voters”.

“If Asiwaju intended to cash in on ethnicity, he would have picked a running mate from the north-western part of Nigeria, which has the highest number of registered voters,” Onanuga said.

“If he wanted to appeal to the base instincts of religion, he would have also gone for a candidate in the Christian dominated parts of Nigeria.

“But there was no such consideration. Instead he picked a tested politician and technocrat from the minority Kanuri ethnic group from the north-east.

“The factors at play were issues germane to confronting the multi-dimensional crisis our nation faces today: insecurity, economic problems, such as the unemployment crisis facing our youths.”

Onanuga said Nigerians should reject the campaign and incitement against fellow citizens.

“When Nigerians stand together, they have been known to achieve incredibly positive outcomes,” he said.

“That is the lesson from our history. To now succumb to the base ends of identity, by further straining our already difficult ethnic and religious cleavages, is a great disservice to the country and to citizens who had no choice about their parentage, ethnicity or religion at birth.

“Whether as Christians, Muslims or traditional worshipers, as Nigerians, what should be important to us today and tomorrow is our commonwealth as citizens of this great nation.

“The TCO will like to recall the statement by Asiwaju Tinubu, by way of a closing note, when he assured all Nigerians that he was not oblivious of the religious and ethnic sensitivities of the nation, and that he picked Shettima in fulfillment of the overriding interest of the country.”