Just a day after voicing his opposition to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; both APC members, have reached out to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who is of the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Like Dogara and Lawal, who have waged opposition to their party’s ticket in the 2023 presidential election, Wike has also voiced his displeasure with the goings-on in the PDP as regards the presidential election.
Dogara and Lawal engaged Wike on Saturday in Port Harcourt at the latter’s country home in Rumueprikom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Dogara told reporters that the visit was hinged on the quest and search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria.
“Everyone agrees with us that Governor Wike is one of those indispensable political leaders. For us, it is a search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria. So we feel that as part of agenda setting, we should meet with him, and that is the reason why we are here. And for the rest, whatever it is, maybe in the future we can discuss that”.
Lawal also said that they were on a brotherly visit.
“We came to visit our brother (Wike). Every now and then, the Bible enjoins you to visit one another. That is what we just did”.
Lawal said the interaction with the Governor had nothing to do with the meeting some northern leaders held in Abuja on Friday.
At the meeting, Dogara and Lawal had rejected APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, with the former dismissing the suggestion that there are no competent Christians in the North to pair with the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former Speaker told the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit that the ticket would create disunity in the party and the country at large.
He described Tinubu’s decision as a “fatal error of judgment”.
Dogara said: “I do not want to speak to the argument that there is no Christian competent enough to be Vice President because as we all know, that is hogwash.
“As long as God remains the God of justice, may we continue to resist injustice to our sinews, no matter who is for, or against it because it is the requirement of the just God.
“Let us go out from this summit with the resolve to seek out our Muslim brothers and sisters who believe in unifying our people in order to usher in the much need peace and advancement for Nigeria to unleash her true potentials.
“I am sure we will jointly agree on a platform that would advance our collective search for unity, peace and development. Believe me, the only alternative is the road to Yugoslavia.
“God forbid! If we want to see Nigeria exalted, we must insist she does the right things”.
