Dr Legend Asuelime, Chairman, APC South Africa says the choice of Sen. Kashim Shettima as Vice Presidential candidate of the party is a strategic win notwithstanding his personal faith.
Asuelime made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday.
NAN reports that the APC Presidential Flag bearer Sen. Bola Tinubu on Saturday announced Shettima, a former governor of Borno as his substantive running mate.
The announcement also coincided with the withdrawal of the APC placeholder, Ibrahim Masari, who earlier stepped down as the vice presidential nominee.
Asuelime said that religion should not be a determinant for good governance,
adding that the value of religious calibrations in the 2023 election strategy must be viewed from the prism of electability and competence in governance for the next four years after.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has heeded our call to make this decision devoid of influence from ‘Twitterverse’ and Metaverse.
“Even as a Christian myself, my recommendation to the party was for a Shettima VP ticket if that is what it takes to secure victory at the 2023 polls.
“This is not to undermine my fellow Christians, but first to understand that while religion may win certain elections, it is not a determinant of good governance.
“To pick a weak Christian vice president from the North because we want to pander to religious sentiments can result in a ‘nightmarish’ Nigeria,” he said.
Asuelime expressed optimism that with the choice of Shettima on the APC ticket, millions of more votes would be guaranteed.
According to him, If 2023 is about winning, then I support the APC vice-presidential choice, his religion, nonetheless.
He said: “In elections, numbers matter more than faith. That is why the process ends with the counting of numbers.
“The party has sought for numbers with this choice, and I think APC will win in 2023.
“On the uproar in certain quarters, you must know that majority of those wailing about the Muslim/Muslim tickets as a mistake are not planning to vote Bola Tinubu in the first place, so they do not matter.
“In fact, I will say this to Tinubu, that if your supposed “Mistake” generate headache and threaten your detractors, opponents and even enemies, so much so that they wail uncontrollably, then know that you made the “RIGHT MISTAKE” for your personal and our
collective growth.” (NAN)
