Why we advised Tinubu to pick a Muslim running mate  – Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje

The Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, said the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, if elected, will work towards bridging religious and ethnic divisions in the country.

Ganduje said leaders of the party advised Mr Tinubu to pick a Muslim running mate in order to the religious fear and division in the country.

He told BBC Hausa Service on Friday during a campaign visit to the Hausa community in Osun State that the APC settled for a Muslim Muslim ticket overcome primordial religious sentiments in the country.

“We advised the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to pick a Muslim running for us (Nigerians) to overcome our fears and put behind us things that we think divide us, and we need to start from somewhere so that we face the future,” Ganduje said.

If we don’t start it now (electing competent people irrespective of their religious beliefs) it will be difficult for us in the future to address the problems.

At the community gathering, Ganduje said Tinubu will be president for all Nigerians irrespective of their religion and ethnicity.

The governor said Nigeria’s problem is not religion but developmental problems like unemployment, intolerance, and economic development.

“We the Northern APC governors agreed on a power shift to the Southern region, we refrain ourselves from vying for the presidency because one of us is completing two terms in office.

“We did not say a particular person from a particular group or tribe should be the next president,” the governor said.

“There is no cause for alarm for the Muslim Muslim ticket both the Muslims and Christians we are all created by God, we are Nigerians, the administration if elected will focus on addressing our common challenges, Ganduje said.

The APC presidential candidate, Tinubu picked a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima. Just like Tinubu, Shettima is a Muslim,

The decision has generated heated reaction among Nigerians. Many people, especially from the Christian dominated South of the country consider the decision insensitive

Among those who have condemned the decision are Christian leaders in the ruling APC form northern Nigeria, said they could not in good conscience campaign for their party in their constituency.

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and convince the party to change the decision.