A former National Publicity Secretary of the now rested Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, has ruled out the possiblity of a Muslim becoming the running mate of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
He said Buhari would rather choose a southern Christian as his running mate.
Fashakin, who is a strong force in Buhari’s campaign organisation, said Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, a fellow Muslim, would not emerge as Buhari’s running mate.
The party member told Punch that the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket had been laid to rest as a result, the Buhari-Fashola ticket, which had been suggested, was not feasible.
He said, “We know clearly that those working for (President Goodluck) Jonathan are ready to play religious politics. They are ready to make religion a big issue. They may make it seem as if religion is the only problem we have in the country. They have been saying it that the APC is an Islamic party and they are doing everything to make it appear so.
“We are not ready to play into their hands. We know that this nation has been unfortunately divided along religious and tribal lines. Tribe and religion have become the fault lines in the country. Any party that does not want any baggage, going into the 2015 election, should steer clear from this issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“We do not intend to go into the election with any baggage. We will do the right thing. So, Buhari-Fashola ticket cannot work out because it is a Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
He, however, said all the power blocs in the APC would be carried along.
“There are many options on the table. There are different blocs; you have the governors; you the national leaders; you have the National Assembly caucuses. These are formidable blocs in the APC.”
“I will not tell you precisely where the running mate of the Gen. Buhari would come from. But just know that all the interests of the various power blocs would be taken into consideration”, he said. (Daily Post)
