Ahead of the 2019 presidential election ,a political organization under the aegis of Non –Yoruba Indigenes APC Forum in Southwest geo-political zone has warned against imposition of Muslim -Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket by the ruling party. Speaking at the end of their well attended meeting in Ota,Ogun state, the founder of the organization, which constitute over 60 per cent of the electorates in the Geo-political zone, Chief Dr Chris Orie said that a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be a hard sale for the party.

According to him, the leadership of the APC should take into cognisance the secularity of the country before choosing its presidential and vice presidential candidates. He said that religion is a very sensitive issue in the country, adding that for APC to win the 2019 presidential election, it must carry the two dominant religions in the country along. According to him, there has been rumors in the past that APC is a Muslim party.

Chief Orie said if the party goes ahead to field only Muslims in the presidential election, it would lend credence to the rumor and the result would not be palatable. According to him, APC must not use 1993 presidential election when Chief M.K.O Abiola and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe ran a Muslim-Muslim ticket and won as a credible reference point. He said Nigeria of today and then is not the same. His words,

“We the members of Non-Yoruba Indigenes APC Forum in southwest want to appeal to the leadership of our great party that there must not be a Muslim-Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket for 2019 election. The reason for this is because it would be a hard sale. Religion is a very sensitive issue in Nigeria. If we go into statistics, the population of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria is almost 50-50. Therefore, it may be a disaster if a whooping 50 per cent of the population is left out in an election that from all indication may be very tight”.

So, as lovers of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, we want the leadership of our party to get it right from the beginning”.

He also said that the organization has drawn up it agenda for the 2018 calendar year. According to him, the organization would soon begin membership drive in all the nooks and crannies of the southwest to ensure that APC would be solid for the 2019 election. He said, beginning from Ogun State, they would have their mobilizers in all the wards and councils in the southwest.