Senator Ishaku Abbo, representing Adamawa North, in Adamawa state, had with so much venom, what I describe as anti-ballistic missiles, condemned those who conceived and pre-decided the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima.
Abbo, popularly called Cliff, is fighting gladiators and heavyweights of the All Progressives Congress, APC. It appears Abbo and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, who are APC chieftains, are the only two Northern Christians fighting the decision of the party hierarchy.
Cliff is unhappy with the decision because it has no Christian support base and the agenda is against his faith. He is standing on his feet and fighting the ticket with all his might.
The senator has positioned himself as one of the voices of Nigerian Christians, especially those from the North, to fight the APC for allowing Tinubu to commit what he considers an abominable act against the Christians, by relegating them and their entire generation to the background, politically.
In many forums and media outlets, Abbo has been read and seen to have condemned the Tinubu/Shettima ticket by coming out clearly to reiterate his anger over the party’s arrangement. He had said over and over again that he will not support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
Despite his open disagreement and bid to stop the agenda which he considers to be against his religion and the Christian community, APC and Tinubu stuck to their arrangement, and finally unveiled Shettima to the world as the next vice president of Nigeria, God willing.
Now it is left for Abbo and his cronies to quit the APC. This is when he will have greater glory and support, blessings, and awards for distancing himself from the “abominable act”. At this juncture of the raging political fight and sharp disagreement, I advise Senator Abbo to denounce the party and relinquish everything he got from APC. This will earn him a lot of respect as he has made a point to the world that yes indeed he is a religious man who protects the interest of his people (Christians).
His harsh words against the choice of Shettima as vice presidential candidate to Tinubu can’t be swallowed to see him remain in the APC. To Abbo, the party is the last place he should be going by what he said in the pages of newspapers, and his social media platforms.
He said, “My soul is not for sale, I cannot trade truth for votes. You can’t use me to cover up injustice. You cannot intimidate me Into accepting lies. Continue with the hate and spread of lies. I will never apologise for saying the truth. I stand for truth no matter the price.
“If we are thrown into the blazing fire, the God we serve can deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your hand. But even if He (God) does not deliver us, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will not serve you or worship the image of gold you have set up.
“It is better to sleep under a bridge in heaven than living in a duplex in hell fire. I can’t trade truth for votes.”
Those are his views and his words to the world, his hatred against the APC is no longer news. He has finally decided that because of his faith or religion the party is not the place he can be. It will be a taboo for him to remain in the party.
To some, Abbo is a hero of faith, a lion and a king of the jungle; a leopard who can see a lion eye ball to eye ball and tell him that you are not a king of the jungle. Yes, he is right in a sense. But to me, if Abbo wants to prove his love for his people and be a man of his words, he should quit the APC, and relinquish his status as a Senator of the Federal Republic, representing the good people of Adamawa North Senatorial Zone.
I refer my Brother to the Holy Bible in the book of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 where it says:.”Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness…?
I think his discontinued political journey in APC should end in 2023 after he must have finished his tenure. So, leaving the APC, his party, is the first honour and blessing he will receive here and hereafter come 2023.
I’m watching, I’m sure he will resign seeing the firm decision he took based on religious lines against his party. With his open rebuke and his reprobate mind of reprove, in 2023 can he go to the people of Maiha, Mubi North or Mubi South to canvas for votes for Tinubu? Will his hate for Muslim-Muslim ticket give him votes in those areas that he is representing and hope they should vote for him in 2023? Can he face them as an arch-enemy of the Muslim-Muslim ticket?
Kwada writes from
Michika, Michika local government area,
Adamawa state.
