In a bid to stop political parties from producing same faith ticket for Presidential candidate and the running mate, the Senate is in receipt of a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act, 2022 by inserting a new subsection (3) to Section 84(2) that will prohibit the nomination of a Presidential candidate and the Vice from the same religion.
Senator Smart Adeyemi, representing Kogi West on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, made a copy of the proposed amendment bill available to journalists at a briefing on Sunday.
Adeyemi said the alteration he seeks will not only promote religious harmony in the country but prevent political parties from presenting the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket or a sole Christian-Christian ticket in the country.
Adeyemi’s proposed bill came even as he called on Nigerians to accept the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling APC as an act of God ordained at this time to return Nigeria on the path of glory.
The amendment of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as proposed by Adeyemi and if passed into law will according to the promoter take effect curiously after the dispensation of the Muslim- Muslim ticket of his party would have expired in eight years should the APC win the Presidential election next year.
The proposed amendment to Section 84(2) reads as follows “No political Party shall nominate candidates of the same religion as Presidential candidate and Vice Presidential candidate after this
dispensation”.
Despite the obvious contradiction in his position, Adeyemi threw his weight behind the Muslim-Muslim ticket of APC that produced the tag team of the Presidential candidate and former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu and his Vice, former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima.
The lawmaker said even though he shared in the sentiments of the Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, which vehemently kicked against the sole Muslim ticket of APC; his decision to back the Muslim-Muslim ticket of his party was borne out of his conviction regarding the antecedents and track records of the two personalities involved.
Also read: Muslim-Muslim ticket: council of Lutheran Bishops berates APC
Insisting that APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket is good for Nigeria, Adeyemi, a Christian faithful and member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG said Nigerian Christians have nothing to fear with Tinubu and Shettima being in charge.
He said Tinubu and Shettima both of whom he had known and worked closely with for years are exceptional leaders with proven character and have in their respective political careers being able to rise above the fault lines of religion and ethnicity that have continued to divide Nigeria.
Adeyemi said the Tinubu-Shettima ticket provided a formidable team with the requisite experience to tackle many of Nigeria’s economic and insecurity challenges, emphasising that while Shettima brings to bear experience in fighting insurgency in Borno State, Tinubu will supply the economic expertise to launch Nigeria to genuine economic glory.
Adeyemi who also served as Senator in the era the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP now in the opposition ruled Nigeria, called on citizens not to be enticed by the gimmick of another Northern Presidential candidacy the party is offering at a time when the national sentiment is in favour of power shift to the South.
On the current wave of the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, Adeyemi thinks it is a fluke that will amount to nothing against the popularity and acceptance of Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu and the Asiwaju of Lagos.
He said no amount of one million man match and roadshows embarked on by Obi and promoted on the Social Media will translate into actual election victory for the former Governor of Anambra State at the polls barely four months away.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
