Buhari won’t choose Muslim as deputy –Fashakin

National Publicity Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin
| credits: File copy

 Former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin, has said Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, would choose a southern Christian as his running mate.
Fashakin, a prominent figure in Buhari’s campaign organisation, ruled out the possibility of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, a fellow Muslim, emerging as Buhari’s running mate.
He told our correspondent that the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been ruled out, and as a result, the Buhari-Fashola ticket, which had been suggested, would not be possible.

He said, “We know clearly that those working for (President Goodluck) Jonathan are ready to play religious politics. They are ready to make religion a big issue. They may make it seem as if religion is the only problem we have in the country. They have been saying it that the APC is an Islamic party and they are doing everything to make it appear so.
“We are not ready to play into their hands. We know that this nation has been unfortunately divided along religious and tribal lines. Tribe and religion have become the fault lines in the country. Any party that does not want any baggage, going into the 2015 election, should steer clear from this issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“We do not intend to go into the election with any baggage. We will do the right thing. So, Buhari-Fashola ticket cannot work out because it is a Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
Fashakin said Buhari has many options for a running mate but refused to reveal the identities of the potential running mates.
He, however, said all the power blocs in the APC would be carried along.
“There are many options on the table. There are different blocs; you have the governors; you the national leaders; you have the National Assembly caucuses. These are formidable blocs in the APC.”
“I will not tell you precisely where the running mate of the Gen. Buhari would come from. But just know that all the interests of the various power blocs would be taken into consideration,” he said.
Fashakin added that the APC should give special consideration for the South-South geopolitical zone in order not to send the signal to the people of the Niger Delta that the party wanted to take power away from them.