Chief Bode George, a chieftain of the PDP, has reacted to news of a possible Muslim-Muslim ticket for the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu. In his interview on Arise News, the former PDP National Deputy Chairman said that religious differences have no bearing on his family and he analyzed why the same may not apply to Nigeria at large.
Addressing the topic, Chief Bode George said, “Nigeria is a secular country. For example, my immediate older sister is a Muslim, and he is married to a Muslim. I assisted them in traveling to Hajj. Religious differences have no bearing on where I come from. You can have Christians, Muslims, and the rest within the same family. However, the entire country is completely engulfed in religious intolerance and it would be inappropriate to go for a Muslim-Muslim ticket at this time. It would seem to be a complete lack of respect for the people. We can not afford to conflagrate this country.
He continued, “We should respect the views of the electorate and do whatever would restore normalcy in the country.” It is nothing personal. A public office is a public trust. How do you convince the people if you worsen the anger against religious tolerance by picking a running mate from your religious sect? Anyway, it is a general election and the delegates will decide. I wish Bola Tinubu the best if that is what he wants to do. Such a thing will not happen in our party as we are sensitive and rational. We are interested in what would make Nigerians smile. For me, fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be inappropriate and catastrophic if they did it.