Senate President, APC Presidential Aspirants, Others Shun Shettima’s Unveiling

• ‘Religious Leaders’ storm venue

BY EDMOND ODOK – President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday led the cream of some prominent All Progressives Congress (APC)’s chieftains who shunned the official unveiling of the ruling Party’s Vice Presidential candidate in Abuja.

Before the ceremony eventually flagged off at about 12:25pm, the seat reserved for the Senate President was still unoccupied as the APC presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu formally unveiled former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate for the 2023 elections.

The crowded event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, was attended by top Party stalwarts and members including the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; National Secretary, Iyiola Omisere; Governors of Kebbi, Borno, Gombe, Kano, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Zamfara, Lagos, and Nasarawa States while Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was represented by his Deputy.

However, conspicuously missing in action were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, currently recuperating after his recent leg surgery and the Senate President whose aides were unavailable to offer an explanation for his absence.

Also on the list of absentees were aspirants during the party’s presidential primary in June including former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who placed a distant second behind Asiwaju Tinubu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; and former Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima.

Others include Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade; former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha; Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Citadel Global Community Church (Latter Rain Assembly); Billionnaire businessman, Tein Jack-Rich; and Ike-Obasi Mokelu.

‘Religious Leaders’ Storm Unveiling Of APC’s Vice Presidential Candidate

Interestingly, what the ceremony missed in not having some top party’s chieftains in attendance, it gained in the number of ‘religious leaders’ that stormed the venue in solidarity with the APC’s candidate and his running mate.

Amid strong reservations expressed by the Nigerian Christian community over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, the ‘religious leaders’ made their way to the venue jam packed with a huge turnout of APC members and supporters.

However, when approached by journalists, the different ‘religious leaders’, decked in various attires, refused to identify their churches; groups and which part of the country or sects they were representing or came from to grace the event.

The choice of Senator Shettima, a Muslim from North East by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has continued to cause serious disenchantment among some party faithfuls and Christian leaders Nationwide with arguments centred on politics and religion as well as the need to reflect multi-religious balancing in the polity.