Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to banish the thought of a Muslim/Muslim ticket as his surest route to Aso Villa.
The APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emerged victorious on Wednesday in a contest that initially had 23 aspirants but later trimmed to 14 after nine others stepped down for him and the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
Tinubu is a Muslim from the South West who faces Vice President Atiku Abubakar, also a Muslim but from the North East in the presidential poll.
Analysts say Tinubu is in a dilemma because picking a Christian from the North will be a hard sell to the predominantly Muslim North.
But picking a Muslim as running mate will also be a hard sell to Christians nationwide.
Atiku appears not to be in that kind of dilemma as he will likely pick a Christian vice presidential running mate from either the South-East or South-South.
For Babachir Lawal, speaking on the Channels Television Programme, Politics Today, a Muslim/Muslim ticket is a no-go-area given the fragility of the Nigerian state where mistrust exists between the two major religions.
He says if Tinubu picks a Muslim as his running mate, that ticket will be dead on arrival to Christian northerners.