Although the opposition are still crying foul over the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim/Muslim ticket, the ruling party has moved on.
Unlike the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is yet to resolve the crisis arising from the choice of Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate by its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, there is no dissenting voice in the APC family.
“APC deserves congratulations for the seamless choice. I am so happy. I congratulate Nigerians, APC, my constituency and state. Tinubu is the only person who can unite Nigeria.
“He has the antecedent of performance; a detribalised leader. His government in Lagos gave opportunities to all tribes,” said Segun Abraham, a chieftain from Ondo State.
The former governorship aspirant said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made a wise choice, which was not premised on religious considerations. “He is not a religious bigot. A Muslim, he takes care of Christians. A lot of Christian leaders have benefitted from his large heart. He has never discriminated against any religious sect,” Abraham added.
In his view, professional competence has meaning to the former Lagos State governor in the distribution of appointments instead of religious affiliation and family ties.
To religious bigots, Muslim-Muslim is abnormal. But, the business man and cleric differed, saying Nigeria became calm when Tinubu emerged as candidate, recalling that APC got it right from the primary.
Abraham likened Shettima to the biblical Dairus, who was anointed by God to liberate the Israelites from captivity and slavery.
He said: “God loves Nigeria so much. Shettima is a Muslim. Christians should be happy. In the Bible, the King that released Israelites from slavery and sent Zerubabel to go and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem was not a believer like Christians.
“CAN has hailed the selection. We have seen a vice president, governors who treated Christians badly. In the last six years, when Christians were hacked down by herders, we saw Christian leaders and governors who kept mute and never said anything. We should look at the personality of Tinubu and Shettima; they will work together beyond religious lines.”
Abraham chided Christian leaders for their lack of focus and synergy that will assist projected Christians in their quest for power. He lamented that some people who lacked the understanding of the political terrain were looking for combination.
He said if church leaders were united and brought somebody out, political parties would probably have listened to them.
He objected to any presidential ticket anchored on religion, saying: “security, economy do not know a Muslim and Christian. Record shows that Tinubu will unite Christians and Muslims. His wife is a Christian; pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. She is the closest person to him. For this alone, Christians should rally round him. We have a lot pastors whose wives are not pastors.”
Abraham maintained that Tinubu is a Muslim who has contributed to the growth of Christianity in Nigeria and that is why Christians should rally round him.
He hailed the APC for following the time-tested tradition of zoning and power shift, which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) violated.
Abraham said the opposition party should expect the consequences of the violation.
Abraham stressed: “Morning shows the day. God has shown us the type of government we will get from the PDP. The party set up a kangaroo panel. It is a party of dictatorial tendency. PDP set up a committee to choose the running mate and cannot respect the report of the committee. That means they will not respect our constitution and human rights.
“What is the portion of the Southeast in PDP now? They rejected Obi and divorced Ndigbo. The only option left for Southeast now is to find shelter in APC in honour of Tinubu, who has extended accommodation to them in Lagos.”
Abraham insisted that Ndigbo can only recover from the PDP blow, if the embrace APC.
He also said the Southsouth should know that Yoruba made it possible for them to become president, adding that it is time to pay Yoruba back.
But, what the core issues that will shape next year’s presidential poll?
Security is key, Abraham said, adding that it cannot be brushed aside. He frowned at what he called an inexplicable aloofness on the part of the PDP candidate, wondering why he had hesitated to speak on the incursion of herdsmen and never bothered to pay condolence visit to victims.
Abraham said: “Tinubu cancelled his 70th birthday. He donated N50 million to victims. He went to Owo. Tinubu is a father to everyone. He was at the hospital. There is no Christian who will not want to vote for him.
“I am a pastor. I am ashamed that Christians have not shown capacity to secure the release of victims. Federal Government never gave them relief. Only Tinubu gave relief.”
The second issue is economy. Abraham said record has shown that Lagos was about becoming a slum before Tinubu became governor in 1999. The state could not pay salary. But, he raised the internally generated revenue from N600 million to N12 billion.
Tinubu also invested in Econet on behalf of Lagos State while other governors invested on behalf of themselves. The former governor also fought the infrastructure battle. Land became the gold and oil of Lagos.
The power sector was also developed. ERON provokes fond memory of a great independent power project truncated by the Obasanjo administration. “Unfortunately, a Christian president tried to truncate it, which leads to the fact that many Christians are hypocrites.
Abraham paid tribute to Tinubu for his contribution to integration through what he described as his positive disposition to unification. He said:”There is so much division among Nigerians. There is suspicion. It has gone down to religion, after tribalism. Religious division will be the end of the country. But, Tinubu created unity and love in Lagos. He will replicate it in Nigeria as president.”
Abraham assured that the APC candidate will also create jobs for youths. He said: “Tinubu created job opportunities, businesses for Lagosians. Thus, Southeast and Southsouth people started trooping into Lagos. More Northerners are also coming to Lagos for means of livelihood. There is public private partnership. Many governors come to Lagos State Executive Council to learn how run the economy of their states. If Tinubu has accomplished these in Lagos, he will do more at the centre.”