The reason why you will never see Atiku or Obi coming out openly to condemn the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket, is because they know the damage such campaign will do to their election. Unfortunately, their supporters Who don’t understand are doing the damage for them. The more you continue to speak against Muslim-Muslim ticket, and make it look like being a Muslim is bad, the more you lose the support of the Muslims who occupy the highest rate of voters in Nigeria.
The more you talk about Tinubu’s candidacy on the basis of Islamizing Nigeria, the more many of the Muslims will find reasons to support him.
It was this religious game the People Democratic Party (PDP) played with Buhari in 2015 that contributed to their failure, and one of the problem we have today.
Every political party have a strategy to win election, that was why the PDP had to give their ticket to a Northerner. The APC on their own also felt like the best strategy is Muslim-muslim ticket. It is an election and the first thing any political party think about is winning. You have a choice to vote against them if you are not comfortable with that decision in the general election.
Without prejudice, i actually wanted Tinubu to pick a Christian vice, but the reality is that even though he picks a reverend father as his vice will not stop the hatred already displayed to his candidacy by many of the Southern Christians. Tinubu is aware that many of the Southern Christian are divided between Atiku and Obi, while majority are working openly for Peter Obi already.
Hence, he needs to take advantage of Muslim population in the North, and even South. He is aware that picking a Christian running mate can’t change the mind of those are against his candidacy.
The question we should be asking are:
1. If he had picked a Christian running mate, would it have changed the minds of many of the Christians who are already clamouring for Obi’s candidacy? NO
2. Will a Muslim-Muslim ticket give him an opportunity to get more votes from the Northern voters who are rhe majority? YES
3. Will a Muslim Muslim ticket changed the mind of Sourhern Christian who are already supporting him?
Politics is a game of strategy, not emotion. Tinubu has shown to be a better strategists than anyone. This was the same strategy he used to get his APC ticket. He knew his greatest challenge was the cabals in the Presidency, instead of wasting his energy trying to win them, he dedicated his time on Northern governors who were the major strength of the cabals, and today is the rest is history. If you are smart, you can analyse the political allusion above to his choice of Northern running mate viz-a-viz Atiku’s strength as a Northern Muslim and Peter Obi’s strength as a Southern Christian.
Felix Osemwengie Isere, Esq.