Shettima: Use your power as democrats, Kukah tells aggrieved Nigerians

Nigeria's problem irresponsible leaders, not religion - Bishop Kukah
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan-Kukah, has urged aggrieved Nigerians to use their democratic power in the upcoming 2023 general elections.

Kukah said this while reacting to the announcement of ex-Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, as the running mate to the All Progressives Congress standard-bearer, Bola Tinubu.

In a statement signed by the cleric on Monday, he said the decision by Tinubu, a Southern Muslim, to pick Shettima, a Northern Muslim, as his running mate should not be a thing to worry about.

The choice of the Muslim-Muslim ticket has continued to generate reactions from concerned Nigerians who argued that a Christian Northerner should have been picked in place of Shettima.

But Kukah, while reacting to the controversy, said those angered by the development should use their power as democrats in voting whomever they please.

The statement read, “This is what you call team selection and everybody will choose depending on what they think will give them a fair chance. So people will take responsibility for the choices they have made. For me, it is not something to lose sleep over.

“If people feel unhappy with the kind of choices that have been made, that is why we are democrats, you can’t force it. We outsiders cannot force a choice of any candidate.

“It is now left for you to look at the choices that have been made. And there is no guarantee that all Christians will vote for Christians and all Muslims will vote for Muslims.”