Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima
According to Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, the election of Muslims in the positions of president, vice president, senate president, and speaker may not be conducive to the stability of the country, as it may reinforce the negative perception of an Islamisation agenda.
Our objective is to prevent a scenario where the top four positions in the government are held by individuals of the same religious affiliation. During a meeting with elected House of Representatives members, Mr. Shettima stated that such an action would provide credibility and substantiate the negative narrative of Islamization in Nigeria.
“This is why my principal, a fair-minded leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is more inclined towards having the number three citizen from the South/south or the south-east. Even in the current circumstance that we find ourselves in, the stability of the nation is much more important than any other consideration. All other considerations have to be relegated to the background because we are talking about the stability of the nation,” he added.
The remarks made by Mr. Shettima are pertinent to the ongoing efforts of elected members vying for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the 10th National Assembly.
Mr. Shettima and his running mate, Mr. Tinubu, who are both Muslims, were declared the winners of the presidential election held on February 25th, despite facing criticism for running on a ticket with candidates of the same faith.
The emergence of this group has disrupted the longstanding political arrangement that previously saw Muslims and Christians sharing leadership positions in the country.