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Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has disabused the minds of many Nigerians, especially Christians, who are raising fears and concerns that the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima, a Muslim, as a running mate, would herald the islamisation of the country.

At an interactive meeting with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Abuja, he said such fears and concerns were irrelevant, stressing that some members of his family, including his wife, Senator Oluremi, were Christians, and he has been unable to Islamise them over the years that they have lived together, let alone an entire nation.

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Accompanied to the session by his wife, running mate, Shettima, House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governors Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Deputy Senate Leader, Boroffice Ajayi, Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, Minister of Special Duties, George Akume among many others, he said: “My belief in the need for secular government and faith-based organisations to work in unison is not something adopted recently to benefit my campaign.

“As governor of Lagos, I partnered with the Christian to improve lives and foster education. For instance, I returned mission schools to their owners, most of who are Christians.

“I instituted yearly Christian denomination service at the dovernor’s residence as we approached the New Year. This tradition continues in Lagos.

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“More importantly, we fostered an atmosphere of religious tolerance and inter-faith collaboration. My cabinet was diverse and talented.

“In the exercise of government, I did not give a thought to whether a team member was Christian or Muslim, Yoruba, Igbo or Arewa.

“I have never lent myself to baseless prejudice and discrimination. To do so would be a recipe for failure in the governance of a diverse society and I am not a man that is familiar with failing.

“I never chased people out of Lagos nor made them feel unwanted. Under my administration Lagos welcomed all comers and continues to do so today.

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“After me, Lagos has had one Muslim and two Christian governors. I may not be perfect. What human being is? But I am not a petty man secretly wedded to secret biases and prejudices.

“As such, I see all Nigerians as equals and as brothers and sisters in our national family. This means no one is inherently inferior or superior to anyone else, regardless of faith, place of origin, social status and gender. Anyone who does not hold this fair and equitable view, should not run for president in a country such as ours.”

He added that the Christian body has a great role as the moral compass of the society which he cherishes and would always support.

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“You, as an organisation and as individual leaders of CAN, are entrusted as the watch person of the welfare of this society from a Christian perspective. Which means functioning in an atmosphere of charity, understanding, patience and wisdom.

“I understand the tremendous importance of your work and have nothing but the deepest respect for your selfless contributions to our national cause,” he added.

On his choice of Shettima as his running mate, which has generated a lot of controversies, Tinubu assured the Christian body that he made the best available choice at his disposal without recourse to religious sentiments.

“I did not choose Senator Shettima so that we could form a same faith ticket. The ticket was constructed as a same progressive and people-based ideology ticket.

“I offer a confession. I selected Senator Shettima thinking more about who would best help me govern. Picking a Christian running mate would have been politically easier. But the easy way is rarely the right one. The selection of a running mate is at once a very momentous yet very intimate decision.

“Resting such a key decision on religious affiliation as the primary weight did not sit well with me. I am not saying there were not good and adequate potential running mates of the Christian faith.

“What I am saying is that the times we inhabit do not lend themselves to the good or adequate. We have urgent problems that lend themselves not to a Christian or Muslim solution. We need the best solution. Every time I thought about it, and I did think a lot; I came to the same conclusion: Kashim Shettima — His faith was immaterial.”

CAN President, Dr. Daniel Okoh, in his welcome remarks, explained that the meeting was to extract their commitment to giving adequate attention to issues that concern Christians in Nigeria, adding that candidates of other political parties have been invited to meet with CAN leadership for similar purposes.

CAN Vice President, Stephen Panya Baba, in a presentation, reminded Tinubu and his delegation that Nigeria was on the verge of collapse and needed urgent action particularly constitutional changes and other managerial changes to be resuscitate it.

They demanded among others state police or a decentralised policing system, devolution of power to states, equal rights for all religions and their adherents, right to self-determination by all ethnic groups. Others include right to control natural resources by communities that bear them, no to open grazing, and equitable electoral system that guarantees the right to vote and be voted for by all.

Shettima, Speaker Gbajabiamila, Governor Ganduje and Senate Chief Whip, Kalu attested to Tinubu’s character and integrity.

They said he usually places merit and competence above any other factor in choosing who to work with and he is always moved to act in the best interest of the country.

(Sun)