The Northern Christian Youth Initiative has claimed that the opposition of the former Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because they lost out in their quest to emerge as vice presidential candidate.

Internal wrangling had erupted in the ruling APC after the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu chose the former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim as his running mate.

But the convener of the group, Hon. Mike Msuaan, in a statement issued on Friday, insisted that the duo of Dogara and Lawal were staunch supporters of Tinubu.

He said as a matter of fact, Lawal allegedly authored damaging write ups against the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, a Christian and a presidential aspirant in the APC primary that produced Tinubu.

Msuaan noted that Lawal demeaned his fellow Christian in support of Tinubu, who is a Muslim, adding that Dogara was also a known supporter of Tinubu.

He said: “The resort to divisive machinations in the manner Hon. Dogara and Babachir have resorted to, after losing out in the consideration for vice presidency, is unbecoming of statesmen who have risen to such exalted positions of leadership in the country they intend to destroy.”

The group said the campaign championed by both Dogara and Lawal in the wake of the same faith ticket of the ruling APC was capable of plunging the country into a religious war.

It stated: “We did not find both Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Babachir Lawal canvassing votes for any Christian candidate during the APC primary. We expect the duo who have become accidental defenders of the Christian faith to have stood for either, Prof Osibanjo or Hon. Rotimi Ameachi who were also top presidential contenders during the party primary.

“Dogara and Lawal, who are chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and some leaders of the CAN had in recent times, argued against the emergence of the party’s flagbearers for the election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, saying it was against religious balancing

“We expect that people who have held such exalted positions like those held by Hon. Dogara and Babachir Lawal in the past would be cautious in sowing seeds of division, be it religious, ethnic or regional.”

The group stressed that Dogara was not elected as a member of the House of Representative and subsequently appointed Speaker on the basis of his faith, nor was Lawal appointed SGF because of his region, saying they both found themselves into office to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It noted that: “A school of thought has it that both Dogara and Babachir nursed intentions of becoming vice presidential candidates to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and worked for his emergence. Their inability to secure such endorsement is touted as the singular selfish reason they have become very bitter and are moving round sowing seeds of division. ”

The group said the build up to the 2023 general election and the contending interests would no doubt generate tension in the country on its own.

It pointed out that leaders like Lawal and Dogara should champion the vanguard for a peaceful, free and credible elections and must not embark on voyages to heat up the polity in the name of settling political scores.