“APC Is Seen By Nigerians As Islamic Party: We Have To Do Something About It”. says – Fani-Kayode .

…If we cannot do that, we shall have great difficulty winning the Presidential elections in 2015.

…APC is seen as an equivalent of Egypt Muslim Brotherhood. Note, Nigeria of 2014 is very different to the Nigeria of 1993.

…Anyone that tells you that religion is not a major factor in our politics is either ignorant or is not being honest.

An All Progressive Congress (APC) leader and a former minister for aviation, Chief Femi Fani Kayode has warned the APC to shed its current image of a Muslim Party formed to promote an Islamic agenda if it wants to win the 2015 presidential election.

It would be recalled that there have been several complaints from the public that the hierarchy of the APC is top heavy with Muslims. All the 13 Executives sent to INEC for the party's registration are all Muslims including a female Muslims convert from the East.

Let me make myself abundantly clear about one thing. I despise Boko Haram and all those that support their cause either covertly or overtly. I will have nothing to do with those that kill my fellow christians and burn down our churches or that kill their own fellow muslims for reasons best known to themselves.

I despise all terrorists and all those that use violence and that are prepared to shed of innocent blood to champion their cause or effect their purpose. I also reject the notion of any Muslim or christian agenda for Nigeria.

I will not associate myself or be involved with any political association or party that has a hidden religious agenda because I am a firm believer in the secular state and I am of the view that religion is a purely personal matter that ought to have nothing to do with matters of state.

I am as comfortable with a Muslim as I am with a christian, or even an atheist, providing they do not seek to impose their views on me or interfere in the way in which I practice my faith. One of the things that we need to do in the APC, and we need to do it fast, is to get rid of this unsavoury toga that we are a Muslim party that has a Muslim agenda (an equivalent of Egypt Muslim Brotherhood).

As far as I am aware there is no such agenda in the party but sadly many people are of the view that there is. We must work hard to encourage those people that we have no such agenda and that our party is for both Christians and Muslims.

If we cannot do that, or if we fail to appreciate the importance of doing it, we shall have great difficulty winning the Presidential elections in 2015. This is because the Nigeria of 2014 is very different to the Nigeria of 1993.

Anyone that tells you that religion is not a major factor in our politics or elections today in every part of this country is either ignorant or is not being honest. It is a major factor today and the best we can do is to manage it carefully and in a way that it doesn't put us in the road to Armageddon.

That is why we must all be tolerant and very restrained with one another when it comes to religion and we must display tremendous sensitivity to each other. I have said it before and I will say it again. The biggest mistake that the APC can make is to field a muslim/muslim ticket for the 2015 presidential elections.

Such a mistake would spell the death-knell of the party and would provide the platform for a sure victory for Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP. We must endeavour never to make such a mistake.