Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, claims that people who have criticized his selection of Kashim Shettima as his running mate have been trying to influence him in the same way.
According to Tinubu, some of the people who criticized his decision to pick Shettima as his running partner were his close friends who he rejected.
He revealed this at an interactive meeting with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership in Abuja, which was presided over by Archbishop Daniel Ukoh.
Former Secretary of the Government of the Federation and close Tinubu supporter Babachir Lawal has denounced the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
Lawal called it “a grave blunder” to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In addition, once Tinubu decided to go with a Muslim-Muslim ticket, an ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives named Yakubu Dogara asked Christians to vote against the APC.
The APC’s nominee has been charged with conspiring to Islamize Nigeria by some other Nigerians.
Tinubu denied the charges of Islamization that were made throughout the session.
The APC presidential candidate also denied accusations that he selected his running partner in an effort to repress Christians.
People have responded negatively to my choice, he added.
They tried to convince me to pick them as my running companion because they are my friends, but I flatly declined.
“It is terrible and incorrect that there is some sort of plan to repress the Christian community.
That sort of agenda is not on my agenda.
“I cannot Islamize Nigeria. I cannot repress the Christians of this country any more than I can suppress the Christians in my own home or in my own family.”
