Salihu Lukman, the national vice chairman, north-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the choice of Muslim-Muslim ticket by the party does not imply discrimination against anyone.
There has been negative reactions to the decision of Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate and the party to chose Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim as his running mate for the 2023 general election.
But, speaking with select journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Lukman insisted that the leadership of the party considered all the factors before arriving at the decision.
The former director general of the Progressives Governors Forum, however, assured Nigerians that Tinubu will protect the interest of all.
He said: “You see, my position, which I have always buttressed, is that politics is about contest and managing interests. Certainly the party leadership will have to consider all the factors before arriving with respect to the running mate.
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“In the end, we have to convince Nigerians that Muslim-Muslim ticket or however you look at it does not mean discrimination against anybody.”
On the recent outburst of Babchir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the Muslim-Muskim ticket, Lukman said the National Publicity Secretary of the party should be in a better position to respond to it.
He also disclosed that, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was not a threat to the ruling party ahead of the 2023 elections.
Lukman however said, the APC would work hard to achieve success in the forthcoming elections without dismissing anyone.
The APC national vice chairman, north-west said the difference between the ruling party and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as other political parties was that APC was grounded in the minds of the people.
“We have made it very clear. The difference between APC in 2015 and Kwankwaso in 2023 is that APC was grounded in the minds of people. You can see for yourself but in the case of other parties, including PDP, what they are hoping they are waiting for us to mismanage ourselves on the basis of which they pack whatever we are not able to achieve.
“Now, the reality is that we are not taking anything for granted. We are not dismissing people. We are going to work hard,” Lukman added.
