If Tinubu wanted to etch his name in gold he would have picked a northern female Christian as his running mate to make an unprecedented statement to the whole world

Ayo Akinfe

[1] No matter how much he tries to sweep this matter under the carpet, the fact remains that Bola Tinubu will be judged for life for his selection of a Muslim running mate in the forthcoming elections

[2] Up until now, Tinubu has tried to sell himself as this liberal, inclusive, understanding and sensitive leader. He has just ruined everything with the Muslim-Muslim ticket he has just gone for

[3] Maybe I am just old fashioned but I grew up in a Nigeria where things were done because there were the right thing to do. Were I in Tinubu's shoes, I would have concluded that it would have been better to lose with a Christian running mate than win with the Muslim one, as inclusivity is the main issue in these elections

[4] Only a dishonest person will try and deny the fact that this Muslim-Muslim ticket will embolden Islamic extremists like Boko Haram, Iswap and Abubakar Gumi. I can see the activities of bandits in the Zamfara forests escalating now, ditto Sambisa Forest

[5] Yes, neither Tinubu or Shettima are extremists and will not incite anyone to violence but in the real world, that is not how it works. President Buhari is a Fulani-owning herdsman and none of his cattle have encroached on anybody else's farm but alas, his actions (or should I say inaction) have emboldened herdsmen to go to town

[6] If Bola Ahmed Tinubu wanted to make a worldwide statement about inclusivity, he would have chosen a female northern Christian as his running mate. Just imagine the message picking a wopman as his running mate would have sent to global investors, religious extremists, misogynist bigots and ethnic divisionists

[7] It has now emerged that the APC panel set up to recommend a running mate for Tinubu shortlisted several ladies, including UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed, Hajiya Najatu Mohammed and Ambassador Fatima Balla. Sadly none of them was considered

[8] If you are looking for a well-known northern Christian female member of the APC, look no further than Pauline Kedem Tallen of Plateau State. I challenge anyone to explain to me what makes Kashim Shettima a better candidate for vice president than her

[9] Ms Tallen is currently Nigeria's minister for women affairs and social development and has served as the deputy governor of Plateau State, becoming the first woman to be elected a deputy governor in northern Nigeria. Is this not good enough?

[10] When I I look at Kamala Harris in the US and then see how three of the contenders for Boris Johnson's job are women, it is easy to observe that this happens because those societies insist on inclusivity. Tinubu has told Nigerians to go to hell with their thoughts of carrying everyone along, so it is up to the nation to punish him appropriately come the elections