By Priscilla Dennis

Former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa has lambasted Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over his comment that a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the ruling party will not be a problem in the forthcoming general elections in the country.

Vatsa, in a press statement titled, ‘the Christians are awake and alive in Nigeria ahead of 2023 general elections’ and made available to DAILY POST in Minna said such arrangement will not only spell doom for the party but amounts to “playing with fire”.

He advised Bola Tinubu to disregard the comment by El-Rufai, arguing that no Christian in Nigeria can vote for Tinubu if he goes ahead with a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

According to him, “those scheming for Vice President position like El-Rufai are the ones advocating for a Muslim-Muslim ticket because of their unrealizable ambition even when they know fully that it is not absolutely possible. This country called Nigeria has grown pass what people like El-Rufai think.

“Our National Leader and Presidential flag bearer, Bola Tinubu is more intelligent than him, he is politically wiser than El-Rufai, he knows everybody’s antecedent so he can not be deceived. Tinubu knows that a Muslim-Muslim ticket will spell doom for him and APC in 2023.

“Kaduna State is smaller than Nigeria, if El-Rufai succeeded in Kaduna with a Muslim-Muslim ticket because he made sure the Christian communities in southern Kaduna did not come out to vote in the 2019 general elections to show their anger, such an experiment cannot work in the presidential election in 2023.”

The former APC Publicly Secretary in Niger State pointed out that politicians in the country, including El-Rufai, have made religion the first consideration in everything they do today while recalling how he declares every Friday a public holiday in the state because of his religious bigotry.

“Now that El-Rufai is looking for Vice President, he wants Nigerians to put religious consideration in our dealings behind, when every form you fill in Nigeria today, they will ask you of your religion. I wonder why such a person should tell Nigerians not to lay emphasis on religion,” Vatsa insisted.

The statement further stated that the governor should not talk about the issue of competence saying there are competent people in all the religions in Nigeria, including idol worshipers, that can be Vice President.

It added, “there are very intelligent, competent and highly respected Christians in the north that can be Vice President to Tinubu. Those who have turned their state to war zone should not dream of becoming Vice President of this country.”