APC carpets PDP for tagging Tinubu a ‘fake Muslim’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to a statement made by the Director of Strategic Communications, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling party.

Momodu had in the statement said the north would not be tricked into voting for a fake Muslim next month, adding Tinubu was unpopular in most northern states of the country.

Momodu, who insisted on Atiku winning the presidency in the February polls, said: “The north will not vote a “fake Muslim” in the name of a pretentious and mischievous Muslim/Muslim ticket. The scam is dead on arrival.”

But in a reaction issued by spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, on Monday, he described the opposition party as desperate for power.

Keyamo said Nigeria had gone beyond pettiness, adding the north would surprise the opposition next month.

“These people have gone extremely low and it shows the level of their desperation for power. What they have done is complete heresy. All they are trying to do is to wipe up religious sentiments to sway votes, but it is not going to work”, Keyamo said.

“All these years that Asiwaju has been giving alms, they did not say he was a fake Muslim. He has given more alms than Atiku. He performed Hajj all the time and they didn’t see him as a fake Muslim. How can a Christian from the South say that the North will not vote for another Muslim because he is not a proper Muslim?

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“If a Muslim from the North rises today and says a Christian in the South is not a proper Christian, what will happen? Of course, there will be a wide condemnation of such. Nigerians have gone beyond this pettiness, and they will show that on February 25.”

Similarly, APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, described the major opposition members as poor students of history.

Ibrahim accused PDP of mediocre campaign, insisting the former Lagos State governor would emerge victorious in the forthcoming polls.

He said: “People are playing politics with reality. Traditionally, the North does not vote based on religion or ethnicity. Recall that in 1993, the North voted massively for the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale, MKO Abiola. That is not to say they voted for him because he was a Muslim.

“The same North voted massively for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and they didn’t vote on the basis of religion. Jonathan contested against Atiku who is a Muslim from the North and won. The North does not vote on the sentiment of section or religion; they vote based on merit.

“The North is politically advanced to be able to differentiate merit from mediocrity. The APC is campaigning based on issues, not religion or section and our candidate, Bola Tinubu, will win with a landslide,” he added.

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