A former minister of Aviation and spokesperson to the Presidential campaign of former President Jonathan in the 2015 presidential polls, Femi Fani-Kayode said on Saturday that Senate President Bukola Saraki frustrated plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field a muslim/muslim presidential ticket in 2015.
Fani-Kayode, a former chieftain of the APC disclosed this via his Twitter handle on Saturday in reaction to Saraki’s rejoinder to a Thisday back page article last week by Ovation Publisher, Bashorun Dele Momodu.
Saraki, and Fani-Kayode , were some of the APC members who kicked against the Muslim/Muslim ticket and blocked the move by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be made vice presidential candidate to Candidate Muhammadu Buhari.
Saraki in his rejoinder had stated that his “original sin” was his refusal to support a Muslim/Muslim ticket of the APC in the 2015 presidential election. According to the Senate President, he opposed the move purely for strategic considerations, because he wanted his party, the APC to win the election.
Corroborating Saraki, Fani-Kayode tweeted: “I can confirm that @bukolasaraki opposed the Muslim/Muslim ticket plan of the APC. I left and exposed it, he stayed and frustrated it.”
Saraki said: “I have also been accused of helping to frustrate some people’s opportunity to emerge as President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate. But I have no problem with anybody. My concern was that it would not be politically smart of us to run with a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The Saraki phenomenon also frustrated the move by Tinubu to install his men as principal officers in the National Assembly.
It would be recalled that in the build-up to the last general election, rumors were rife that the APC, which at the time was battling to stave off an “Islamic party” toga, was contemplating fielding then General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.