Nollywood veteran, Kenneth Okonkwo has quit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after the party’s presidential flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu confirmed Senator Kashim Shettima as his substantive running mate.
Tinubu's choice of Shettima as running mate heading into next year's presidential election, has caused disquiet across the country with some notable party figures quitting the APC over such move.
Joining the list of individuals who faulted the move by the party to field a Muslim Muslim ticket, Okonkwo in a letter shared via Instagram on Monday, said he will not associate himself with such anomaly, and therefore resigned his membership of the party.
“Recall that joined APC because of its Constitutional vow, as true Progressives and Patriots, to eliminate all forms of discrimination and social injustice in Nigeria, thereby building the nation a nation which will guarantee equal opportunity for all and ensure mutual and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
“Those ideals are now alien to the APC, with their unfortunate decision to paint our Muslim brothers in had light, by insinuating that the Muslims in Nigeria will not accept or vote for a Northern Christian as Vice-President to pair with a Southern Muslim.
“If Muslims could vote voluntarily for Southern Christian Presidents, it is then a fallacy to insinuate that they cannot accept a Northern Christian Vice-President. This will permanently destroy the political viability of Northern Christians in Nigeria, if allowed to stand.
“Being the convener of the Campaign for Equity and Justice in Nigeria, and as a former member of APC Presidential Campaign Council, which resisted same religion presidential ticket in the past, I can no longer continue to lend my name to these abnormalities in the interest of our peaceful co-existence, integration and progress of our beloved country,” Okonkwo said.