Keyamo defends Tinubu-Shettima ticket, says govt doesn’t exist for religious sentiments

Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has on Monday justified the combination of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as candidates under the banner of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential election.

Keyamo slammed Nigerians who faulted the decision on the basis of religious plurality, stressing that government should be concerned about bringing about development to all.

The former Lagos State Governor had yesterday in Daura, Katsina State, announced the former Borno State Governor as his running mate.

He described Shettima as someone with the required competence and ability to deliver.

However, a number of Nigerians had accused the ruling party of disregarding the religious plurarity of the country with its decision.

Commenting on the development via his verified Twitter handle, Keyamo noted that the essence of government was not to comfort the egos of certain people.

Read also: Northern elders outline three possible outcomes from a Tinubu-Shettima ticket

He added that the duo would offer Nigerians quality leadership which would facilitate needed development in the country.

“Governement doesn’t exist to assuage the egos of religious leaders, but to bring about development for everyone. Today, most religious leaders in Nigeria go to Dubai and the USA for shopping and holidays when the UAE is being governed by Muslims and the USA is being governed by Christians.

“There’s no country in the world where history tells us that its development was as a result of ‘balanced’ presidential tickets (in terms of religion) over the years; countries developed as a result of visionary leadership and not because they pandered to some religious sentiments”, he noted.

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