The southern Kaduna People’s Union, (SOKAPU) has rejected the bid for Muslim-Muslim ticket in Kaduna State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The Spokesperson of SOKAPU, Luka Binnyiyat, on Tuesday, said the southern Kaduna People will not support any political party, who has no respect for religion and ethnic value of Kaduna State.
It could be recalled that the Kaduna guber flag bearer of the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC) Senator Uba Sani, including the State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai confirmed the nomination of the current Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, as running mate, in their verified Facebook page, on Monday.
Reacting to the development, Luka said “SOKAPU has made it very clear that any political party, who does not respect the religious and ethnic diversity of kaduna State will not have the support of SOKAPU and by extension the southern Kaduna people.
“We believed that from both sides, the North and the south, there are very qualified Christians and Muslims that can be used as running mate of any Political Party.
“Kaduna state has some of the most highly exposed and advanced mind in Nigeria and to say that only one religion is qualified to produce the Governor is insultive provocative, divisive, and as such does not promote our unity and diversity. We will guide our people against any party that produce a candidate of same religion.” He said
The Spokesperson further stressed that: “If Governor Nasir El-rufai were a Governor of justice or inclusiveness, he knows that the Muslim population of Southern kaduna is far less than the Christian population.
“And if he is able to find a qualified Muslim in southern Kaduna, he can find one hundred of such qualified Christians in southern Kaduna. But because he wants to despise southern Kaduna and tell them that their votes amount to nothing, he decided to pick a Muslim who is a minority in southern Kaduna and made her a depty Governor.
“We are not saying that we hate her but she knows that, if fairness is to be done to her region, qualified Christian ought to be picked, if she is also interested in the sensitivity of her own people, because even in her family or linege there are Christians along the line.
So for picking her again is even more insulting to us because after four years of tutolage under Governor El-rufai, she is not qualified to pick the gubernatorial ticket, and still made as second class, it is a demotion on her own part.
Asked on the ground that the current Deputy Governor is also from the southern part of Kaduna, SOKAPU said, “the presence of Hajiya Hadiza, as deputy Governor, has not given us any advantage at all . The massacre and genocide in southern Kaduna is something she has been very quiet about. She has never said one word about it. We are not aware of her bringing relief or succor to anybody.
“As such, Uba Sani is someone who has publickly stated that he is going to continue with the legacy of Governor El-rufai. In other words, the kind of demolitions, mass sack of workers and attitude against the people of southern Kaduna, he is going to continue under Uba Sani as Governor.
“The killings and the destructions, including the arrests of southern Kaduna who speaks against such crime will continue under Uba Sani, who said he will continue with the legacy of Nasir El-rufai under the present Deputy Governor of Hajiya Hadiza.
“As far as Southern kaduna is concerned, the Uba Sani will be an extension, if not an improvement because the Governor himself, has said that the person that is going to take over from him will do worst thing than him and through his word, he has started showing it by doing same thing the Governor did that is not acceptable by the gross section of the state.
“So they have started showing us that he is going to be worst than El-rufai and as such our people is not going to support such kind of candidature. He added.
