Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo, says Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is an example of religious tolerance.
Oshiomhole was quoted to have said this while speaking at the APC stakeholders’ meeting on Friday in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The former governor noted that Tinubu did not make Islam mandatory for his wife and family, and so has no plans to Islamise Nigeria.
He added that the explanation to Nigerians about the APC ticket was necessary, because there has been deliberate misinformation and an attempt to make the debate personal instead of issue-based.
“The issue is that we should vote for a person that will develop the country. Those dwelling on the Muslim-Muslim ticket are doing so to distract people from the major issues. If they ask for your vote, ask them to show you what they have done to deserve your vote.
According to Oshiomhole, “Tinubu did not make Islam mandatory for his wife who is a Senator and a pastor. His children are also Christians and Muslims. Is there a better example of religious tolerance?
“So, the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not the problem today. You have unemployed Christian youths who are hungry and we have unemployed Muslim youths who are hungry. Does it matter who governs?
“Whoever will develop Nigeria that I think should be the issue and all these sentiments are meant to remove issues from the debate.”
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He asked party members to unite under the selected party candidates to deliver 2023 votes.
“The primaries are over and the candidates have emerged. We need to put away our differences that came at the primaries and queue behind our candidates, beginning with our presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, former two-time governor of Lagos and the party’s national leader.
“The aggrieved members of the party should learn from my act of political tolerance when I was ousted from office as the national chairman of the party. I had the opportunity to seek redress, which would have stalled the party’s congress, but I didn’t.”
Oshiomhole also debunked the claim that he has endorsed a candidate for the 2024 governorship election in the state.
“I have not endorsed anybody for the governorship election and I will not be doing so. I have learnt from my mistakes. I have also not asked anyone to step down or asked anyone to step up. The only person I asked to step down was my younger brother and this is because two Oshiomhole cannot be on the ballot.
“In the past, when I asked people to step down, they did and never forgave me, while the ones that stepped up have not done anything to show for the faith reposed in them,” he added
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