A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and a former secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal will be working against their party in the 2023 General Election.
They are a part of a group, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Northern Christian Leaders, that has resolved to adopt a presidential candidate to defeat the ruling party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Hon. Dogara, who had previously opposed the APC’s same-faith ticket is leading the group.
At the end of a meeting on Saturday, the group said it would work with a platform that will “engender unity”
“That we have agreed to work together with a view to fostering unity, peace, and national cohesion,” a communique issued after the meeting read.
“To work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness, and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
“Conscious of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria, we believe that a same-faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation-building.
The group disclosed that it was setting up a committee to “fashion out strategies” for the actualisation of its plan.