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Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the running mate of Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempts to pitch his principal against northerners and Nigerian Muslims.
Baba-Ahmed noted that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, have developed a penchant for deriding other candidates in the running for the 2023 presidency.
He said this while appearing on an Arise Television programme where he spoke about issues surrounding the electioneering ahead of the February 25, 2023 presidential elections.
The Vice Presidential candidate said he accords Tinubu all the respect in recognition of his role as a former governor as well as his chieftaincy titles, but Datti said it's disparaging and disrespectful for the APC candidate to state that he feels embarrassed to mention the name of another candidate.
Datti's word: “Respectfully, when I say ‘His Excellency the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ I am giving respect to him, his name, the institution he represents, the traditional title, and I feel good about it.
“But when you find a presidential or vice-presidential candidate in the ruling party stating that it’s disgraceful or embarrassing to mention the name of another candidate (from another political party), you know there’s a willful, deliberate, forceful attempt to disparage and disrespect.
“Some weeks ago, the vice-presidential candidate of the APC, Kashim Shettima destroyed the name of Atiku Abubakar. So you can see, there’s a pattern in it. They have the security apparatus, they have the finances of the country, they’ve had those of their states for long, that’s why they are coming with all this arrogance.
“Everything we state is backed by evidence. For example, they (APC) jump at every opportunity to set Peter Obi against the North and the Muslims. But Peter Obi loves the North. I joined Peter Obi ticket because I know he loves the North.”