2023: Why There Is Oppostion Against Muslim-Muslim Ticket – Wase

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has disclosed the reason behind the opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket fielded by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wase stated that those opposed to the ticket are planning to gain cheap access to power and cause confusion in the country ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

He made this known on Thursday when he received some members of the Asiwaju Pact With Citizens Campaign at the National Assembly in Abuja.

It will be recalled that the decision of the APC to field Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima in the 2023 election has sparked controversy in the country with arguments for and against the same faith ticket.

However, the Deputy Speaker said that those opposed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket are doing so based on emotion and sentiment, adding that the opponents are desperate to gain power in 2023.

Wase asked Nigerians to focus on the competence of the presidential candidates and their running mates and not their religious background.

The Deputy Speaker said Tinubu has a history and trajectory of helping people achieve success, hence will make a good president.

He said: “I attended to a journalist some few days ago when I went to congratulate alongside my colleagues the vice-president (Kashim Shettima) Insha Allah 2023. The journalists asked me whether we have issues regarding the Muslim-Muslim ticket and my answer to him was that we have a Muslim-Muslim here in the house of representatives as speaker and deputy speaker.

“I don’t know how many people we have converted if it is about religion. It is about delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. We have had a Christian-Christian senate president and deputy senate president for eight good years in the national assembly.

“So, some of these emotions and sentiments being expressed are done by those who want to gain cheap access to power and other things and cause confusion in society. What we should be after is competency. Who can offer and give us the best? There is no doubt the choice of Asiwaju. First I want to say, power comes from God. He (Tinubu) has demonstrated his capacity. He has given out his best.

He said: “He has been in the political terrain for years. He has developed people. There is no segment of the society that you go to that you won’t have one person or the other that he has helped or touched. And I believed that he is the candidate to beat. I have not seen any candidate in any political party that can match his achievements. I have not seen it. To be honest, I have been honest, none.

“There is an array of ministers and chief executives who were the students of his own school of thought and political alignments. There is no politician in this country that can match his own contribution and what he has done. He is the first to demonstrate and we have a lot to showcase. When the time comes we will speak out.”