The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, has said no lawmaker has been converted to Islam since he and the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, emerged.
Both Gbajabiamila and Wase are Muslims.
Wase said this when a group, Asiwaju’s Pact with Citizens Campaign 2023 (APCC2023) paid a courtesy call on him in Abuja on Friday.
He said that politics was about development, which according to him “has to do with what you can do and offer, but not about sentiment, which does not work.”
He said that APC was on a good course with the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the party.
“A journalist, some days ago when myself and my colleagues went to congratulate the vice president (Insha Allah in 2023), asked me whether we have any issues regarding Muslim-Muslim ticket and my answer was that we have the same here in the House.
“The Speaker and I are Muslims and I do not know how many of our members have been converted so far to other religions.
“Our priority is about giving the people the dividends of democracy.
“I am from Plateau State, I know we have very good percentage of Muslims there, but who is going to give us peace should be our concern not who is going to divide us.”
He said the Senate had had both Senate President and Deputy Senate President as Christians for eight years without rancour.
The House of Representatives deputy speaker noted that some of the emotions and sentiment being expressed were basically from those who wanted to cheaply gain access to power causing confusion within the society.
He said that what should be paramount in the minds of the people should be competency, efficiency, and who could deliver and give the country the best.
He said that there was no doubt that the choice of Tinubu “is from God’’, who had given out his best and had been in the political terrain for years.
Wase said that Tinubu had developed people, adding that there was no segment of the society that someone he had assisted would not be found.
He said that he had not seen any candidate in any political parties that could match Tinubu’s achievements, adding that the array of ministers in this administration were a testament.
He said that no politician in the country today could match Tinubu’s contributions and what he had done, adding that the APC had a lot to showcase from Tinubu’s candidature.
Rev. Dominic Alancha, the National Coordinator, APCC2023, said that the platform was all inclusive which sought to rally Nigerians towards the growth and development of the country.
He said that key issues across all sectors of the economy would be addressed by the Tinubu’s presidency, adding that the issue of unemployment, insecurity, education, among others would be resolved.
The group also made Wase the Chairman, National Advisory Council, adding that it believed that the goals and vision would be achieved with the coming in of the deputy speaker. (NAN)
