Sylvester Idowu in Warri
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Group, APC Support Network, (APC-SP) predominantly made up of Christians, have faulted opposition to Muslim-Muslim joint ticket of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Running Mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, saying what the nation needs now are competent people that can make lives better for the people.
APC-SP, in a statement signed by the South South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Dr. Obasogie Fred, and issued yesterday in Warri maintained that both candidates were eminently qualified to deliver dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.
Fred said: “The candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced his running mate for the 2023 Presidential election next February in the person of Senator Kashim Shettima, a former Governor of Borno State, an astute administrator and a former banker and a thorough breed per excellence.
“We in the APC support Network praise the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima who is eminently qualified to fit the bill and will in no small measure help to deliver the dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.
“But what we do not understand is the uproar that has greeted the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima from within and without even when the rule we all accept in politics and winning elections is by the numbers. So what is wrong with picking a person whom you know is an asset to bring victory”, the group asked.
APC-SP urged the critics of the joint ticket to respect the choice made by Tinubu and be left to run the election full circle, even with the brouhaha that has greeted the pick, noting that the consensus of opinion right now supports the APC winning the presidential elections in 2023 adding “and this will become more evident at the cast of the first ballot.
“The choice of Senator Kashim Shettima is the silver bullet that is needed to win the election; religion should not come in to play in matters of political strategy. You win first before you can talk of governance, the rethorical question to ask is if you do not win how do you implement your program and party manifesto, therefore you must get your winning formula and action plan and strategies right to win and get into office before you roll out your programmes.
“In politics, like every other endeavour, you have to have a winning formula and apply the strategic intelligence which is exactly what you have to put forward and that is what Ahmed Bola Tinubu has done. If you do not apply this strategic intelligence or use it to your advantage, then you are not fit to be in politics,” he added.
