From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The special Adviser to Governor Yahaya Bello on water resources, Comrade Yahaya Ade- Ismail has pleaded with Nigerians not to see the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim as his running as sidelining the Christians in the country but the choice should be seen as a political expediency aimed at winning the election.
Ade- Ismail who is the pioneer treasurer of the APC in Kogi state said the choice of Tinubu picking Senator Shettima a fellow Muslim like him as his running mate was a hard one but he had to make the choice so as to win the general election.
The special Adviser while speaking to newsmen in Lokoja , said he was surprised that some people especially on the social media are now hiding under Kassim Shettima’s nomination to paint APC as a Muslim party or Tinubu as a religion bigot saying Tinubu is a refined large- hearted man who believes in merit and competence and not on religion.
According to him , some of Tinubu’s children and wife are practicing Christians just as it is in some homes in Yoruba land where members of the same family practice different religions without any conflict even as he said those raising the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket are mostly ignorant and hypocritical
He said by the choice of Shettima from the north east as the running mate to Tinubu, the opposition party is already feeling jittery which he claimed make them resort to blackmail and name calling so as to confuse the electorates ahead of the general election.
The APC stalwart said, if elected, Tinubu will within one year in office fix most of the problems confronting the nation and turn around its fortunes to the admiration of all just as he did he Lagos state when he a governor.
On the perceived health issue of the presidential candidate, Ade-Ismail said people were only been mischievous exaggerating the health issue of the candidate, stressing that Tinubu is known as a profuse organiser of men and materials and s team player who will assemble the best brains irrespective of tribe or religion for the overall development of the country
Ade-Ismail expressed hope that governor Yahaya Bello will deliver Kogi state to the APC saying the opposition party in the state ‘ has been conquered and buried’