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| Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, APC National Leader |
The Ecumenical Youth Association (EYA), has said the possibility of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, becoming president in 2023, is already almost equal to zero, but he made things even much worse for himself following his recent statement supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the next election.
Tinubu has been eying the number one seat in the country for quite some time, and is believed to be desperate to succeed Buhari as president come 2023, although he'd first have to contend with other party members who are as desperate and ambitious as he is.
Although Tinubu has all the money, winning the party's primary will only be his first and arguably his most easiest challenge yet, compared to the other issues he would have to deal with en route to the presidency.
Tinubu's hope of clinching the APC party ticket, is believed to be heavily tied to Buhari whom he expects to reciprocate the support he enjoyed from Tinubu during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections. But Buhari is believed to be unwilling to use his influence to help Tinubu with his ambition, a move that would leave Tinubu to work things out himself.
Should Tinubu eventually emerge as the APC presidential flag bearer in the next election however, there are also concerns over his age and health as Nigerians seek to avoid a Buhari type of situation.
All these among other things certainly won't make life easier for Tinubu, but non of the above issues combined, does much damage to the APC leader's ambition compared to his recent blunder on Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“All I need is your support. Leave the rest to me, I will handle it,” Tinubu was quoted as saying while soliciting for support from Northern leaders who demanded that he does not accept a Christian Northerner to be his running mate, as a condition for their support.
But speaking in a statement through its President, Daboikiabo Warmate, EYA expressed disappointment that a man who hopes to rule a country already heavily divided along religious lines, would consider taking a Muslim running mate to further add salt to injury.
Daboikiabo said, "We vehemently condemn the insensitive and greedy statement of a Muslim-Muslim Presidential/Vice Presidential Ticket credited to a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
"It's so provocative and unfortunate that Alhaji Tinubu will insult the sensibility of Yoruba Christians in the same way those Northern political elites insulted Northern Christians.
"This is not just inciting and insulting to Northern and Yoruba Christians alone but also to all Christians in Nigeria.
"This has confirmed that Tinubu is very undeserving of the Nigerian Presidency. A man whose ambition is worth subjugating the over 100 million Christians in Nigeria can even one day mortgage Nigeria.
"We are presently talking (about) how Christians have become endangered species, how much more under such a person's Presidency then, we Christians will all be eliminated.
"We are compelled to believe all that is being said about him most especially, by his kinsmen. We will start a campaign soon tagged: 'Tinubu Presidency, a danger to existence of Christians in Nigeria,' because his statement has proven that.
"We want to use this opportunity to encourage and call on all Christian politicians that have the requisite capacity to save our dear country from the verge of collapse, to come out and contest in the 2023 Presidential election in both major political parties and we will mobilise and campaign for such a person because it is our turn."