A former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode says religion remains an important dynamic in Nigeria’s political affairs and must not be ignored by presidential candidates when picking their running mates.
Fani-Kayode, who is a Christian and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this as a guest on Channels Television‘s “Politics Today” programme.
He said it would be a “very big mistake” for anyone to claim a Muslim-Muslim ticket would not be an issue for any candidate.
However, he said he would still support APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is a Muslim, should he decide to choose a Muslim running mate.
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“It’s an issue and we will have to explain and defend to the wider population of the Nigerian people if we choose to go that way. I am not saying I’m against it. If that’s what the candidate wants, we will stand by him and defend him.
“However, we need to defend it. We can’t just say religion has no place in the politics of today. It certainly does, especially where 50 Christians were slaughtered in a Church in Owo the other day. In Southern Kaduna the other day, a number of 34 Christians were slaughtered,” Fani-Kayode said.
He noted that the situation was being exacerbated by the insecurity plaguing the nation.
“We have an Islamist revolt that is to say ISWAP on the one hand, Bokoharam on the other and so many herdsmen killings and these people happened not to be the real Muslims, but pretending to be Muslims, because the real Muslims do that kind of thing,” the ex-minister said.