AMINA ANEBI, Kaduna
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has described as insulting the reason the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu gave, that informed his choice of former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
Tinubu was reported to have said he picked Shettima as his running mate based on competence.
But in a statement on Monday, Hayab disagreed with him, arguing that if the selection was based on competence that there are many Christian politicians who are competent enough to be selected.
According to Hayab, the implication of not considering national unity and federal character principles, as captured in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, in the appointment, showed that Tinubu “has no respect for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.”
He said, “Last week, we stated our position in clear terms to establish that the ill decision of a particular political party is not for us a thing of concern, where we clearly illustrated, that when I wish to eat rice and beans and a particular restaurant chooses to cook only white rice that has not given me any reason to worry because simply what I will need to do is to move to the other restaurants that have prepared what I desire to eat.
“However, just to state the obvious on the matter at hand, the electorates have no reason to raise eyebrows over wrong decisions by any political party. But that we have no reason to be worried about it does not also suggest that such a decision is not condemnable.
“The implication of such a decision is that such a candidate has no respect for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria. it also suggests that the candidate is just a candidate who prioritises selfishness, greed and personal unhealthy interest over the good of the nation.
“The Federal character principle as mentioned earlier was a product of Gen Yakubu Gowon administration when after the Civil War, it was believed that a particular group occupied major ministries in the nation.”
