Tinubu fails to present Shettima to party chieftains
NWC members keep mum
INEC portal closes today
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The Buhari House National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress was on Thursday enveloped by confusion following the failure of the party’s standard bearer, Bola Tinubu and his running mate, KashimShetima, to turn up for a planned unveiling of the running mate to party chieftains and stakeholders.
The ruling party had announced Thursday as the day the Presidential candidate would unveil Shetima as his running mate for the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
But it failed to hold thereby keeping the National Working Committee of the party waiting.
The former governor of Borno State was on Sunday chosen by Tinubu as the most qualified person to run along with him but his choice has generated uproar within and outside the party.
Shettima’s choice has been castigated by top chieftains of the party and rejected by Christians across the country as insensitive, unfair and an outright insult to Christians, particularly, Northern Christians who are members of the party.
Tinubu and the party hierarchy have been called upon to quickly effect a change, a call many people say will never be heeded.
The umbrella body of the Christians, Christian Association of Nigeria, northern chapters have threatened to shun the party at the polls to prove a point that they are competent.
Impeccable sources at the Buhari House National Secretariat confided in The Point that the postponement of the event was not unconnected with the legion of protests against the choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, which has made some members of the party resign their membership.
Our sources further disclosed that there has been much pressure on both the party and the candidate to drop the running mate and pick a northern Christian before the close of the INEC portal on Friday.
One of the sources, however, noted that the demand is a tough one that might not be granted but advised that “aggrieved persons should sheath their swords and find a common ground to settle the differences,” adding, “both of them are Nigerians of impeccable integrity. They both possess what it takes to reposition the country and bring it out from the doldrums.”
Another source in the party’s national secretariat claimed that the postponement was caused by the renovation work still ongoing at the secretariat and assured that the contractor would be able to round off before the new date next week.
Meanwhile, several calls out to the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka did not go through as his lines were switched off.
