THE All Progressives Congress (APC) vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, has urged Nigerians to shun politics of religious sentiment ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The former Borno State governor made the call today when he hosted members of the APC Professionals` Forum in Abuja.
He challenged Nigerians to be more concerned about how to develop the country rather than engaging in religious sentiments.
He stressed that the world had gone past religious sentiment, hence the need for the country to focus on moving to the industrial age.
The APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, picked the former governor as his running mate last Sunday.
The ruling party’s decision to opt for a Muslim-Muslim ticket has attracted backlash in the country, especially among the Christian community.
However, Shettima denied reports that his principal plans to Islamise the country.
He said: “I feel highly honoured and am delighted to receive you in my humble abode, the world is changing, the world has moved from agricultural age to industrial age.
“And now we are in the knowledge driven age, in other clans, people are talking of nano technology, biotechnology, and quick data and of artificial intelligence.
“While we are busy here talking about headsmen, farmers/herders clash, rural banditry, kidnapping and battling with Boko Haram and talking about religious mix.
“The task before us is to transform this nation into a just and fair society where everyone will have a sense of belonging.
“We should learn to accommodate and embrace each other.”
The ex-governor added: “I want to reassure Nigerians that; they are accusing him of an attempt to Islamise the country, has he started with Islamising his own family.
“Asiwaju Bola Amed Tinubu, yes, his running mate might be a Muslim, but his life mate for over 40 years is not only a Christian, but a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
“He did not enforce his own Islamic faith on his own children, he was the first governor to hand-over mission schools to the owners, and he has groomed people from all works of life.
“One of his commissioners while he was governor of Lagos State was from Katsina State and another one was from Delta, he also had a special adviser of an Igbo extraction.”
