Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that Christians in Nigeria need not be afraid regarding the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Fani-Kayode who before cross-carpeting to the APC from the PDP was very vocal about plots by the present administration to Islamize and Fulanise Nigeria, said he has prayed about the matter and have come to the conclusion that the Muslim-Muslim ticket poses no danger to Christians.
In defending the same faith ticket of the party, Fani-Kayode said the choice was that of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, adding the decision was made in the best interest of the country.
While appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday night, the former minister admitted that no real Christian would be pleased with such a selection, however, the APC stalwart emphasized that there is nothing wrong with the choice.
Prior to his joining the APC, Fani-Kayode has always spoken against the ruling party and its presidential candidate, and as such his latest comments have stirred various reactions with some saying his position at this time cannot be trusted.
However, in his defence, Fani-Kayode said it was when he joined the APC that he discovered so much had changed with the way the government and party was operating.
According to him, even issues of fulanization and Islamization have all been done away with, especially with Tinubu emerging as the flagbearer for the APC in the next election.
“My choice to speak for APC and Tinubu has nothing to do with morals. It’s a question of choice. It’s my choice. When I was in the PDP, I fought against those that were against my party. Now I’m no longer in the PDP and I’m in the APC, I’ll fight against those that are against my party.
“That is my nature and I make these choices based on conviction and based on courage. The most important thing…the greatest danger to national unity and cohesion as far as I’m concerned…is a situation whereby power does not shift to the South after eight years of the Hausa/Fulani man ruling this country.
“And the APC has come up with a Southern candidate and that’s the most important thing. Now the choices that the Southern candidate makes are the choice he is comfortable with.
“Obviously, there are issues with the same faith ticket. There are issues with that. Any Christian that will tell you he is particularly happy with that then seriously speaking cannot be a real Christian.
“But as far as I’m concerned, it’s simply an issue of choice. The issue of Fulanization we talked about has been thrown out of the window because the party we accused of that has shifted power to the South. When I joined the APC, I realized that things have completely changed.
“A country where we have about 22 Christian governors, with the whole of South West all Christian Governors, tells you that this country cannot be Islamised and out party, the APC is not interested in that. We have reformed. We are moving forward,” Fani-Kayode declared.
Taking a different look at Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima, Fani-Kayode was of the opinion that the former Borno State Governor had built more churches in the State than any other governor before him.
“Same faith ticket is a challenge but we looked into it, I prayed and consulted about it and spoke to Kashim because all along the position has been it all depends on who’s the vice. It’s not about the faith. It’s about the individual.
“I discussed with Shettima for over three hours, I looked into his eyes and raised a number of personal questions that I needed to be certified and he certified me with his answers.
“He has built more churches in Borno than any other governor before him and since he has won the confidence of many Christians, so the issue of Islamization no longer arises,” the APC chieftain disclosed.