Buhari, Not Tinubu, Is to Blame for APC Muslim-Muslim Ticket says Aminu Wali

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.

Aminu Wali, a former Foreign Minister and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked Nigerians to hold President Muhammadu Buhari accountable for the All Progressives Congress’s controversial choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket (APC).

In an interview with Track News , Wali claimed that only Buhari could have stopped APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s decision, claiming that the president has not been transparent on the issue of religion.

While noting that Buhari failed to live up to his expectations as the country’s leader by allowing the anomaly, Wali stated that the president should have instilled in Tinubu the importance of selecting a Christian as his running mate.

However, the former minister stated that the president’s inability to act on the controversy came as no surprise, pointing out that the president has been less than accountable in matters of faith over the last seven years.
“It is very unfortunate that this thing is taking on a larger dimension under the APC because whatever problem we now have is being exacerbated by the APC’s seven years or so.” We were not always like this.

“However, it is because Buhari has not done what he was supposed to do as the leader of this country, which is to be openly liberal on religious issues.” He does not. “He has never been a religious liberal,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Buhari bears 80% of the blame for what is happening today.” He should have had the guts to be the APC’s leader and say, “Yes, Bola, we went to the convention, yes, this is the person who won, but you go ahead and bring a Christian as your running mate.”

“After all, when (Umaru) Yar’Adua was elected, Obasanjo summoned all aspirants, including Peter Odili, who would have won, and told them all to withdraw in favor of Yar’Adua.” The man never purchased a form. That is the essence of leadership,” he argued.
He explained that as the leader of his party and the country, Buhari should have understood the implications of running on the same faith ticket, especially given his military background.

“As a result, he should have made a firm decision and stated clearly what he wants done to prevent this from happening.” He, however, did not. And he is the only person in the APC with the authority and power to impose the correct decision, but he did not,” he added.

However, Wali stated that because the PDP has chosen a Christian as its vice-presidential running mate, those who are dissatisfied with the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the APC are welcome to support the PDP, noting that because God loves Nigeria, He will not allow Tinubu to win the election.
The octogenarian also stated that it would be difficult for Governor Nyesom Wike, a former PDP presidential candidate, to abandon the party, having benefited greatly from it.

“Wike has been a member of this party since its inception. He rose through the ranks of the PDP, becoming a local government chairman, chief of staff, minister of state, and now governor.

“Those who are speaking make it appear as if Wike simply woke up one morning and said, ‘I quit.’ That will be difficult for him because he has invested in the PDP.

“How can you go and take away what you gave to your mother, as one of my friends put it?” Wike is in a difficult situation. He is what he is today because of the PDP.

“From being a local government chairman to becoming what he is today.” So, whatever people say about how he kept the PDP going, it’s true. But they should be aware that your mother is unable to give birth to you, and you then claim that you are unable to care for her,” he contended.

According to him, Wike was also interested in winning the governorship of Rivers State for his candidate, despite the fact that his supporters had already filed their candidacy on the PDP platform.

“Are they going to throw everything away?” Is Wike willing to give up all of this and everything we’ve been through with him just because what happened happened? You can win and lose in politics.

“By the grace of the then-national leadership of the party, what I went through in Kano, I should have quit, I should have left the party, but that is not an option.” “I accepted every kind of humiliation from the party, but I waited my turn, and today things have changed,” he declared.

Wali maintained that, while Wike was dedicated to the party and went out of his way to help it, particularly financially, he created other issues in the process.

He contended that Wike had quarrelled with everyone in the party, and that his language, demeanor, and approach to people were the reasons many people turned against him.

On the contrary, he stated that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, by nature, was peaceful, never controversial, and remained a presidential candidate.

“You’ll want someone who is calm, knowing that there won’t be too many problems in his absence.” “I believe this is why he chose Okowa, because I believe Okowa has widespread respect within the party, both North and South,” he added.