A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasir El-Rufai, has insisted that the party’s choice of presidential candidate would not be dictated by religion.
Mr. El-Rufai, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that the party’s candidates for the 2015 presidential poll should be picked on individual competence rather than religious affiliation.
“APC will present an integrity-competence ticket not religion. Politics and governance are not to be mixed or dictated to by any religion,” Mr. El-Rufai said.
“The APC will present to Nigerians the best persons with the integrity, capacity and competence to create jobs, fight corruption and rebuild our nation without discrimination.
Mr. El-Rufai’s statement is coming at a time another party chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode, had admonished the APC leadership against contemplating a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
“I have said it privately in countless political meetings and I will say it publicly today. Please mark it – the biggest mistake that my party, the APC, can make is to field a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the 2015 Presidential election. If we do that we will not only offend the Christian community, but we will also lose the election woefully,” Mr. Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister, had said.
“Our party must have both a Christian and a Muslim on the ticket if we want to be taken seriously in the Presidential election. I implore those that think otherwise to sit down and think this through properly,” Mr. Fani-Kayode had added.
But Mr. El-Rufai argued that a candidate’s religious persuasion is a private affair that must not be linked with bad governance.
“How these persons worship the Almighty God is private to them and does not matter to discerning Nigerians particularly young people that suffer most from bad governance, unemployment and the Jonathanian culture of impunity,” Mr. El-Rufai said.
“The PDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) that has no record to show other than escalation in corruption, grand larceny, trillions missing, private jets and deaths of innocent people.
“The PDP’s only “winning strategy” is built around promoting and financing regional and religious division, and using the proceeds of corruption to buy the military, police and INEC officials rig the next elections.
“They will be defeated no matter what they think because Nigerians are wiser and will not be taken for a ride any longer,” Mr. El-Rufai said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Mumu !
ReplyDeleteMr fani kayode, dt y peoples love u,u will only stand by truth let them try it and put muslim/muslim dt is end of APC.
ReplyDeletetank u no be state mumu na fedral mumu.old fooolll.ffk is right.malam is a mugu
ReplyDeleteGood talk
ReplyDeleteAboki
ReplyDeletereligion should not decide according to el ru-fail but it should decide according to voters. we meet in the pools.
ReplyDelete“They will be defeated no matter what they
ReplyDeletethink because Nigerians are wiser and will
not be taken for a ride any longer,”
Oyes,we are wise n wil never allow directionless people 2 deceive us because Buhari,Tinubu etc are never good 4 Nigeria..GEJ is d answer come 2015..PDP
We are waitin for ur candidates... Besides, one of ur members here once said u would produce duck and dog to rule coz is ur turn... But we Nigerians are not fools... A dead GEJ is uselful than Dog or duck. Anyway, i wil like to advise APC to always talk politely in the public...
ReplyDeleteI've told Gulak,Abati and others to stop exchanging words with these directionless and hungry elements who are struggling to get power by al means...El-Rufai dnt know Nigeria,and wil would u rule d country u dnt know....GEJ is d answer
ReplyDeleteI've told Gulak,Abati and others to stop exchanging words with these directionless and hungry elements who are struggling to get power by al means...El-Rufai dnt know Nigeria,and wil would u rule d country u dnt know....GEJ is d answer
ReplyDeleteAll of you are thiefs. Fighting for their pockets. God have mercy.
ReplyDeleteTwo violent people; one is ALAYE and the other a BOKO HARAM. truely APC don't have anybody to match GEJ.
ReplyDeleteThough I'm a Christian, I think if a Muslim/Muslim is what we need to move the country forward, then so be it. Nigeria is dragging rather too slow than to allow religious sentiments begin to override our judgements. All we need is a way forward. May God use the electorates to pick a leader that will better this country.
ReplyDeleteThis is Nigeria. Religior speaks volum. APC, listen to FFK. If u must socid, let a christain b ur presidential candidate and a muslim viced him. A muslim as a natioal chairman and a muslim as bot chairman. This is wat i c.
ReplyDeleteOshiomole is one of the best candidate for any political party in Nigeria for this season. Use him.
ReplyDeleteEl Rufai you are wrong in ur statement. Religion remains the opium of the masses. Religious sentiment is very strong in Nigeria, stop deceiving ur self. FFK has only told u the simple truth. We all know El Rufai is a religious fanatic, stop telling us stories because we know better.
ReplyDeleteVery soon all those killing and private jet will stop by the grace of God those who bribe the military 2 kill innocent people and private jet buyer wit federal money and those who support their evil act, all their days are number whether u are Muslim or Christian
ReplyDeleteOlodo, did u really know the topic that s being discussed?
DeleteFrom El-Rufai's speech, APC is a muslim aganda and Nigerian should be careful. Fani kayode has a vision but have not understood APC's aganda. Lets watch them.
ReplyDeleteJesus is the answer
ReplyDelete2015 JESUS is the answer
ReplyDeleteJesus is the answer
ReplyDeleteFFK is a fool. He wants APC to quarrel him so he can defect to PDP. We no want uuuuuu
ReplyDeleteMost if not all present APC chieftain are so arrogant and talks without resevation and diplomacy. This they do now without power, what will they do if they ever got the power?
ReplyDeleteNigeria is so polarised on religious ground dan 1993, so it'll b a grave misjudgement n mistake for APC to pick a Xtian/Xtian or Muslim/Muslim candidate for d presidential race. Whoever is picked @ d end, pls endaevour to put Fashola in d pix.
ReplyDeleteJohn
I wonder how we nigerians think,the elite have succeeded in using ethnicity and religion to divide us,I don't need religion cos I have conscience,let the best hands manage this country regardless of their religion or where they come from,el rufai has said the right thing,I now know the reason why our factories that are supposed to create jobs for the youths are being converted to worship centres,Nigerians wake up,we need change not religion,we do not have any business with poverty or underdevelopment because God has given us everything to be the greatest in africa and beyond.
ReplyDeleteGbanga pls in politics everything is it as far as you get what you want, don't ever think that any part who field muslim/muslim or christian/christian will make it. I dare APC to try it and see if the margin will not be wow. We are African we love our Religion.
DeleteI don't understand El rufai at all, he's APC and FFK is also APC, so what concerns PDP in this matter, he totally deviated from his argument and attacked PDP. I knew it from the beginning, APC have failed even from the onset. we Nigerians are wiser and therefore we can't vote for dogs and ducks!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the who-is-who (Top Echelon) in APC: Buhari, Lai Mohammed, Tinubu, Sanusi, El-Rufai, Atiku, Fashola. Bisi Akande seems the only (minority) christian that will decide who clings the ticket, others are mostly fanatical about religion and politics. It is quite sensitivive and cannot be overlooked this time.
ReplyDeletePls am a christian and I knw its nt always about it BUT it will be wise to nominate Christian-Christian candidates since e no marra to el-rufai,lmao!
ReplyDeleteHow did buhari and pastor bakare end up talk less of musl/musl. yaya za a ka re
ReplyDeleteWe need not look at Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim ticket but who can do it. This is really affecting us in all ways. Imagine someone who is the perfect match for a job (I mean right candidate) but after the interview, was told sorry you are not from certain tribe or religion, so we can't offer you this job. Until we shun the act of saying this person is from my religion or ethnic group and be objective in all our dealings, then nigeria will be a GREATE NATION AGAIN.
ReplyDeleteChristians be aware that APC is Moslem party .
ReplyDeleteMost of u don't read n undastand u r just bias in ur views,ffk is right as well as el rufai,el is saying it b n abysmal failure to decide on d bases of religion,in a country like nig it shud b balance btw 4 peace to rain
ReplyDeleteOshimole/Fashola or Buhari/ Oshimole is where i stand...shame on you FFK, you should advice ur party not jumping ship like a prostitute.....APC , PDP is causing trouble in ur camp to lure ur key members to it's fold...be WARNED!!!! my name is ALEX
ReplyDelete