The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has again defended his choice of former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, a co-Muslim, as his running mate instead of a Christian.
The leadership of Christians’ Association of Nigeria, CAN, had frowned on Tinubu’s choice and threatened to pay him back in his own coins come the coming presidential election.
The former Lagos governor at a meeting with the Christians’ body’s leadership defended himself saying, “Choosing a Christian running mate would have been easy but that is not the case.
“My choice of Shettima is born out of the urgent need to address the challenges facing the country and Shettima possesses strong leadership abilities which he exhibited when he was the governor of Borno State. I wanted a progressive government that was why I selected Shettima.
“We have urgent challenges that do not depend on religious leanings but on the best of hands that can address it.”
Continued: “I seek to become Nigeria’s president not on religious grounds but on the constitution. Thanks to the body for the invitation to candidates to speak on their plans for the nation.
“I believe in the need for a secular government and for us to work in the interest of the country just as I did in Lagos State. I partnered with the Christians to improve lives and foster education. I returned missionary schools to the rightful owners, most of which were Christians.”
