A statement is being ascribed to Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano State, who is a top member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a key ally of Bola Tinubu, the presidential flag-bearer of the ruling party in respect of the 2023 election.
The claim, which was first spotted online on Wednesday, August 31st, 2022, has been shared by Facebook users to separatist groups with a lot of members. It is accompanied by past pictures of Ganduje granting a media interview – as evident by the appearance of Salihu Tanko Yakasai popularly known as Dawisu on Twitter. Dawisu is the former Director General, Media and Communications to Ganduje, and has since left the APC for the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
The Claim In Full Below:
“Tinubu choosed (sic) Shettima as running mate because Christians in Nigeria doesn’t [sic] have much electoral value”
~ Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
“It’s high time Nigerians face the issues on ground and forget about chasing shadows with Muslim-Muslim tickets.
This is never an issue and shouldn’t be, because Nigeria as a nation has been praying for a credible party to deliver this country from the PDP corrupt government and within a twinkle of an eye our Party the APC emerged and since then has shown Nigerians what good leadership is all about.
“Today, Nigeria has recorded big gains regarding the war against the Boko Haram terrorists who once controlled close to a score of local government areas in the country’s North-east under the PDP corrupt and demonic government.
“President Buhari has added ‘700,000 extra jobs’ for vendors and farmers by increasing the number of children fed under the school feeding programme from 9.2 million to 15 million. Nigerian youths gets their monthly stipends as at when due through the office of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. Both Southern and Northern youths get employed immediately after their NYSC. The President equally build 10,000 schools per year across the country fully remodelled and equipped. All courtesy of APC government.
“All these was done by a Muslim President, Now, tell me what do you think will happen if we have a Muslim-Muslim as President and Vice President of this country, that means Nigeria will become a paradise to behold. Our Party flag bearer Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a political technician and wizardry who knows what he wants and the best for Nigerians that’s why he choose Shettima Kashim as his running mate.
“Everyone in Nigeria knows that Christians vote doesn’t in any way count much nor equal to that of the Muslims in Nigerian political system. Politics is a game of number and it is only those that have the electoral value will determine what happens in a democracy and that is the Muslims controlled States. We have the structure, we have the numbers and we will win the election.”
Background
In July, Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, picked Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno, who is also a Muslim, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
The development has elicited criticism from key stakeholders, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Verification
No reference to any source was made, and there was no notice of such statement credited to Ganduje in any credible media.
Verdict
The claim that Ganduje spoke against Christians is a blatant falsehood.
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