The All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed strong disapproval on Monday regarding what it termed a ploy by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to depict the North as a region overly influenced by religious sentiment in its political decisions. This reaction came in response to comments made by Dele Momodu, the Director of Strategic Communication for the PDP Presidential Campaign Council. Momodu suggested that the North would not support a “fake Muslim” as he discussed the potential victory of the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. He stated, “The North will not vote for a ‘fake Muslim’ in the name of a pretentious and mischievous Muslim/Muslim ticket. The scam is dead on arrival.”
In response, Bala Ibrahim, the APC Director of Publicity, criticized those who view the North through a religious lens during elections, labeling them as poor students of history. He emphasized that the North has traditionally not voted based on religion or ethnicity. He referenced the 1993 elections, where the North overwhelmingly supported the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, noting that this support was not due to Abiola being a Muslim. Ibrahim further pointed out that the North also voted significantly for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, in the 2011 elections, defeating Atiku, a fellow Muslim from the North. He asserted that the North votes based on merit rather than religious or sectional sentiments, stating, “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.”
Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, criticized the PDP campaign for resorting to what he described as “extremely low” tactics. He argued that the attempt to incite religious sentiments would ultimately backfire against the main opposition party in the upcoming election. Keyamo remarked, “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 whip up religious sentiments to sway votes, but it is not going to work.” He also highlighted the inconsistency in the PDP’s narrative, noting that throughout the years, Bola Tinubu has been involved in charitable acts and has performed Hajj, yet they did not label him a “fake Muslim.” Keyamo questioned how a Christian from the South could assert that the North would not support another Muslim based on perceived authenticity. He concluded by stating that Nigerians have moved beyond such pettiness and would demonstrate this on February 25.
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