Political leaders from the Northern Muslim and Christian communities in the All Progressives Congress on Sunday said that religious voting in the general election of 2023 could have detrimental effects on Nigerians and endanger national progress.
In an effort to defeat the Muslim-Muslim ticket that the APC chose despite opposition from the general public, they also decided to support one of the presidential candidates.
According to The PUNCH, the APC Northern Christian leaders, led by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, agreed to focus on issues that unite them as a people rather than encouraging attacks on sensitive religious issues in the name of politics.
The recommendations were contained in a communiqué signed on Saturday in Abuja by Dogara and Mukhari Shagari, a former deputy governor of Sokoto State and former Minister of Water Resources during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The meeting also had in attendance a former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna; a former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed; ex-Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango; Senator Idris Ahmed Umar; and two former deputy governors of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi and Simon Achuba.
The communiqué partly read, “The APC Northern Christian leaders have, in line with their communiqué issued on July 29, 2022, met with some Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 northern states and the FCT and resolved as follows:
“That we have agreed to work together to foster unity, peace, and national cohesion.
“To work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness, and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
“Conscious of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria, we believe that a same-faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation-building.
“Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matters that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitive issues bothering religion in the name of politics.
“Given the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives outlined in this resolution.”
