2023 Presidency: Northern Christians, Muslims, Leaders Unite, Move to Adopt Consensus Ticket 

*Atiku’s campaign raps opposition, makes more appointments

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Concerns generated over the Muslim-Musilm presidential preference of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have been taken to a different level as northern Christians, Muslims and political leaders, have started to consider a possible consensus presidential candidate to defeat APC’s same faith ticket of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

This followed a meeting, weekend, of Northern Christians, Muslims and political leaders, who agreed to work together.
But the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign has advised Nigerians to decipher and critically examine the conduct and character of the people and parties that seek to lead Nigeria.

However, the Northern Christian leaders of APC, led by immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, have resolved to work with their Muslim counterparts in the North to adopt one of the presidential candidates in a bid to defeat the same faith Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC.

Their resolution was contained in a communique jointly signed by former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and Minister of Water Resources during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mukhari Shagari and Yakubu Dogara.
The communique was the outcome of their consultative meeting and dialogue between Northern APC Christian leaders and Northern Muslim political leaders held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja.

The meeting was in line with the APC Northern Christian leaders’ communique issued on July 29, 2022, which solicited an agreement between it and Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

At the end of the meeting, it was resolved that, “We have agreed to work together with a view to fostering unity, peace and national cohesion.”
The communique noted that the meeting further resolved, “to work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.

“Conscious of multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria, we believe that 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.”

The dialogue and consultative meeting had in attendance, HE Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, HE Boni Haruna, HE Abdulfatah Ahmed, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, Engr. Babachir David Lawal,Hon Damishi Sango, Senator Idris Ahmed Umar, HE Yomi Awoniyi, HE Simon Achuba, Hon. Ummara Kumalia, Hon Baba Shehu Agaie, Air Marshall Monday Morgan (Rtd),General Ishaya Bauka (rtd), Mohammed Sani Sidi, Hon John B. Bawa and Dr. Iliya Stephen Msheliza.

Others were Sarah Allabeh-Nanpon, Shina Ibiyemi, Dr. Auwalu Anwar, Dr. Yakubu Tor-Agbidye, Hon Hassan Jonga, Hon Dauda Bundot, Alhaji Abdul Abubakar, Alhaji Musa Bello, Ishaku Pennap, Hon Leah Solomon, Mohammed Alhaji Yakubu, Professor Salamatu Machunga, Barrister Mela Nanghe (SAN), Reverend Joseph Hayab, Dr. Mrs Ruth Magaji,Reverend Innocent Solomon, Reverend Habila Tengya, Hon Haruna Mohammed and Hon Gwamna Dimas.
While former governors Ibrahim Shehu Shema, Senator Adamu Aliero, Capt. Idris Wada and Senator Umaru Tsauri, Imam Sani Ishaq, Sheik Halliru Maraya, sent in apologies, they, however, said they agreed with all decisions and resolutions of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Atiku presidential campaign has said it is becoming increasingly apparent that the APC was neither ready  for election nor structured to govern, though its members were desperate to retain power.
In a statement by one of the spokesperson of the campaign, Senator Dino Melaye, the campaign said, “Sadly, the undiscerning is oblivious of the usual media hypnotism that the APC engages to confuse and mesmerise the unwary.

“I once had a cause to describe the APC as an NGO and not a political party. Even now that it has  managed to have a contrivance called Party Executive, it remains  formless, unstructured, uncoordinated and unorganised.
“It’s not surprising, since as you may recall the coronation of the chairman of the party was a mere formalisation of the appointment approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the life wire, navigator and camp commandant of the APC.

“As an indication of the unpreparedness of the APC to lead Nigeria, the party in its nearly 10 years of existence, has no Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is usually referred to as the soul or the conscience of the party. Without a soul, the party has remained rudderless, floundering, reactive and retrogressive.
“Before Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the flagbearer of the party against the run of play, he had in his usual entitled fashion been addressed as the leader of the party. However, neither he nor any other was good enough to lead the BoT, so, the structure has remained sterilised,” Melaye stated.

This, nonetheless, Atiku has announced more appointments with Chief Dan Ulasi, being the latest on board as Technical Adviser on Contact & Mobilisation (South East), while Dr Don Pedro Obaseki as Media Presidential Consultant.

In a statement by Pual Ibe, all  appointments were with immediate effect.
Ulasi, who hails from Anambra State, is an experienced politician, who has served the PDP in different capacities, both in Anambra State and at the national secretariat of the party.
Pedro, on the other hand, is a seasoned media personality from Edo State, with rich experience in political communication.