The Senator representing Adamawa North, Ishaku Elisha Abbo, has resigned his membership from the campaign group of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
Kokomansion understands that Abbo withdrew from Tinubu’s campaign team hours after the APC Presidential flag-bearer picked the former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shetima as running mate.
While explaining the reason for his decision to journalists on Monday, July 11, 2022, in Abuja, he said Tinubu threw away a report in which he was advised not to pick a Muslim as a running mate.
According to him, a group set up to search for Tinubu’s running mate had concluded that the presidential candidate should not pick a Muslim, adding that Tinubu refused to learn from Buhari, who chose a Christian running mate in 2015.
He said, “For Tinubu now to be given the ticket and turn around to do what he couldn’t achieve in 2015 despite opposition from Catholics and other Christian leaders is extremely irresponsible.
“Buhari fought a civil war and understands the consequences of a divided nation. When Tinubu wanted to be VP in 2015, Buhari said no because he understood the importance of unity.
“We sat down in Abuja and strategised and we concluded that he should not take a Muslim as running mate. He (Tinubu) threw away the report.
“My conscience will not allow me to campaign for Tinubu. I am a member of CAN; I cannot deny CAN. I remain in APC. But I will take the survival of my country first over political considerations.
“We cannot work for such a man. I will oppose Christian-Christian ticket because I am interested in the stability of this country. A Christian-Christian ticket will be insensitive to Muslims of this country.”
Abbo said Nigeria is evenly divided among Muslims and Christians.
He added that any government that is Muslim-Muslim would be illegitimate and would never gain the respect of Christians.
