Former presidential advisor Bashir Ahmad has urged Nigerians to view the Tinubu/Shettima ticket as the unification of the Kanuri and Yoruba ethnic groupings to symbolize the country’s diversity.
Ahmad urged Nigerians to reject religious sentiment and cease viewing the ticket as Muslim/Muslim in a post on his verified X profile on Wednesday.
He added that Nigeria deserves more and that people should refrain from politics of resentment in order for the nation to develop.
“To be honest, I have no idea where this will ultimately take our country. Why can’t we wait and use the vote boxes in 2027 to express our displeasure if the growing tensions and the ongoing careless narrative are only due to the combination of the people currently holding the presidency?
“Everyone can vividly recall what happened during the 2023 elections. The APC, President Tinubu, and his deputy did not base their campaigns on religion. They did not promote religious terror when touring mosques. They didn’t use religion as a political tool.
Since many have been advocating that religion should never take precedence over ethnicity, I honestly believed that the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would be viewed primarily as a Yoruba/Kanuri ticket, two ethnic groupings uniting to promote national diversity. However, since their ethnic identities are no longer relevant, everything is suddenly reduced to Muslim/Muslim because that story doesn’t match the present agenda.
“If we truly care about this nation, we must base our politics on the truth rather than rash myths designed to stir up emotions. He wrote, “Nigeria deserves better.”
