2023 presidency: Only Muslim-Muslim ticket can give APC victory – Tanko Yakasai

The leader of Northern Young Professionals For Tinubu (NYPT), Alh Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, has said that only a Northern Muslim running mate for the presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, could get the All Progressives Congress, APC, a landslide victory against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, come 2023.

Appearing on Arise TV on Tuesday, Yakasai said that the Muslim-Muslim ticket will appeal to predominantly Muslim states of the north to garner votes for victory.

Political parties in the country have less than 72 hours to register their vice-presidential candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, having concluded their primaries last week.

And there have been serious debates on which religion Tibubu picks a running mate, with some arguing that a Christian should deputise the former Governor, who is a Muslim.

But Yakasai believes that what matters most is a victory for the ruling party, insisting that only a Muslim running mate can assure that.

“Majority of the states in the North are predominantly Christians. I think we have only three that are predominantly Christians, Taraba, Benue and Plateau States. Out of the 19 Northern states, the majority are Muslims and why are we shying away from the fact that our party needs those votes.

“We need to gather those votes to get the presidency come 2023 that is the number one thing.

“Any time the party is picking somebody, it tries to present somebody who can gather the vote. I want you to understand this fact. Somebody who can give us those votes and we get a landslide victory,” he said