Veteran Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo has waded into the row over Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), putting forward a Muslim-Muslim ticket for next year’s presidential election.
APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu announced on Sunday that he had chosen fellow Muslim Senator Kashim Shetima as his running mate, breaking with a tradition for presidential contenders to pick a running mate from a different religion to foster unity in the country – which is split between a mainly Muslim north and majority Christian south.
Okonkwo said the move had prompted him to given up his APC membership as it equated to an insult to Nigerian Muslims, by insinuating that they would not vote for a northern Christian.
“This will permanently destroy the political viability of northern Christians in Nigeria, if allowed to stand,” Okonwo posted on Instagram.
The decision has caused controversy in a country which is facing increasing religious and ethnic tensions, leading to Christian organisations pledging not to vote for the APC.
But Mr Tinubu defended his choice, saying he chose competence and integrity over religion.
