Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has been criticized over his comment on a possible Muslim-Muslim ticket for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Deji Adeyanju, a socio-political commentator, described El-Rufai as a religious bigot who is determined to divide Nigeria along religious lines.

El-Rufai had said a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for APC won’t be a problem in 2023.

The governor said Nigerians’ fixation on the religion of political office holders was pathetic and sad.

He noted that Nigerians should be more concerned about competence and not the religion of political office holders.

Reacting, Adeyanju said the likes of El-Rufai should allow APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu pick his running mate from the South-East if competence was more important than religion.

In a Facebook post, the Abuja-based rights activist wrote: “If it is true that competence is more important than religious consideration in a multi-religious country according to El Rufai, why not allow Bola Tinubu (the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC) pick a Christian from South East as VP?

“Bloody bigots determined to divide Nigerians along religious lines.”

Tinubu is under enormous pressure to pick a running mate who is a northern Christian having been warned by the Christian Association of Nigeria not to contemplate having a Muslim Vice-Presidential Candidate as was the case in 1993 when a Muslim-Muslim ticket involving the late Chief MKO Abiola and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was an easy sell to Nigeria. CAN warned that times have changed and Tinubu should adjust to the new reality.