2023: Group cautions against overheating polity of running mate choice

Northern Nigeria’s Front for Equity and Good Governance has cautioned Nigerians against overheat the polity of running mate choices in an attempt to neglect the critical aspect of justice, equity and fairness for nation building.

The President of the group, Comrade Zakariya Abdul’aziz who made this known during a press conference in Kaduna, condemned the clamour by some voices for Muslim-Muslim ticket as guarantee to win Northern votes in the forth coming presidential election.

“We find it very divisive and careless for some persons to say that the choice of Christian from the North will not guarantee Northern votes for certain political parties”.

“For instance, they have brazenly and openly said that only the choice of a Muslim from the North as running mate to candidate of the ruling party can guarantee the votes of the North. In other words they are saying that a Muslim-Muslim ticket is the only way to victory for the ruling party. This is misleading and very divisive,” he said.

Zakariya disclosed that the position is not only incorrect but an attempt to mislead the good people of the region into thinking that religion or ethnicity is the major determining factor for the voting pattern of the North.

“Again, such very unfortunate voices seem to destroy the foundation of unity, oneness and equity which the founding fathers of the region toiled for”.

“It is our strong view that this argument is unfair and capable of portraying the North as being politically insensitive in the current effort to conclude the nomination exercise in some political parties. Our stand has always been that the North is known to be at the forefront of promoting inclusive politics in the country despite some challenges, it always emerged exceptional in expressing itself as a nationalistic region”, he emphasized.

“As a group, we are very concerned and disturbed by the utterances of some few voices that have attempted to push out their narratives using religion and ethnicity under the guise of speaking for the North over the choice of political party candidate and their running mate,” he added.

The group therefore called on political and religious leaders to demonstrate appropriate patriotism and make necessary sacrifices to maintain peace and stability in the country by insisting on fairness for a prosperous Nigeria.

“While we appeal for calm and decorum on the part of all, citizens and leaders alike, we reiterate our call to religious, political, traditional and community leaders in the North to bring their voices to the fore in stopping this very toxic narrative by a few selfish voices who are bent on creating divisive tendencies in the northern region”, Zakariya concluded.

N.O