Tinubu's campaign team say there is no going back in the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket

ASIWAJU Bola Tinubu's loyalists have declared that their principal will not be hounded into dropping former Borno State governor Kashim Shettima as the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate despite the harsh criticism his selection has attracted.

Last  month, Asiwaju Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate after coasting home in a landslide victory following the party's convention in Abuja. Following his victory, he laboured to select a running mate after publicly declaring that he will pick a Christian from the northeast geo-political zone as his deputy but the process appeared fraught with difficulty.

On Sunday, however, after weeks of prevarication, Asiwaju Tinubu, himself a Muslim, ended up selecting a fellow Muslim in former Borno State governor Senator Kashim Shettima. His choice has polarised the country as the Christian faithful feel highly marginalised and already, several senior party members have left the APC over the matter.

Over the last few days, the criticism has got louder after a video of Senator Shettima eating with what appeared to be Boko Haram terrorists emerged. However, the Tinubu Campaign Organisation's spokesman Bayo Onanuga, has insisted that there was no going back on the choice of Senator Shettima as Asiwaju Tinubu’s running mate.

Other loyalists, who have echoed the same sentiment, include former communications minister Adebayo Shittu; Abiodun Alonge, the director of publicity of the Tinubu Support Organisation in Ekiti State and Senator Dayo Adeyeye, the national chairman of the Southwest Agenda for Tinubu 2023. They said Asiwaju Tinubu will not be moved by the criticism of his Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Earlier this week, the former secretary to the federal government Babachir Lawal and the Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, both northern Christians, said their people feel marginalised. Mr Lawal added that Asiwaju Tinubu was misled by sycophants, noting that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is satanic, described Senator Shettima as a Greek gift.

Others who had spoken against the ticket included the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Catholic Secretariat and the senior Apostolic leader of the Realm of Glory International Churches Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon. On Tuesday, a hitherto unknown group, the Northern APC Christians, asked Asiwaju Tinubu to reverse Senator Shettima’s appointment before Friday’s deadline the Independent National Electoral Commission gave parties to replace running mates.

However, Mr Onanuga said: “That is not possible. There is nothing like that going on within Tinubu’s camp. We have seen this move before with all these campaigns to pitch us against fellow Nigerians.

“It happened in 1993 and the result was clear. There was pressure from several quarters for Abiola to drop Kingibe because of his Muslim background. I pray people will come back to their senses to discover that what they should be looking at is not religion but the competence of the candidate to deliver and take the country to a greater height.

“As I said earlier, there is no likelihood of our presidential candidate dropping Shettima. He has selected him and Shettima will remain. He is a cool candidate. Either of them can be a president."