Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s defeat in Lagos State during the 2023 presidential election was caused by concerns surrounding the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket rather than the popularity of opposition candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Channels Television journalist Seun Okinbaloye, Obanikoro argued that many voters were apprehensive about what a Tinubu presidency would mean for religious inclusion in Nigeria.
“Let me tell you, what defeated us in Lagos was the Muslim-Muslim ticket, not Peter Obi,” Obanikoro said.
According to him, a significant number of voters feared that Christians could be sidelined under a government led by a Muslim president and vice president.
“People were afraid because they didn’t know what Tinubu’s presidency will look like. People thought it was a situation where the Christian in Nigeria would be relegated,” he stated.
Obanikoro, however, maintained that those fears have since been proven wrong, arguing that Tinubu has not governed as a religious extremist.
“Tinubu is a Muslim, but he is not a religious bigot that will carry one religion over another. His wife is a pastor. His son, Seyi, is a Christian. He was born a Muslim and became a Christian. Most of the people in his cabinet are Christians,” he added.
Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), lost Lagos State to Labour Party candidate Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election despite the state being widely regarded as his political stronghold.
