The decision of the Kaduna State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Uba Sani, to select a Muslim as his running mate for the 2023 election has been described by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) as provocative, divisive, absolutely non-tolerant of religious pluralism of the state and a brazen attempt to perpetuate the heightened state of insecurity in the state.

The group said the decision amounted to “foisting the dreaded and illegal Muslim-Muslim ticket in the crises ridden state.”

HURIWA has also admonished the people of Kaduna desirous of peace, tranquility, inter-religious harmony and sustainable development to reject APC in next year's poll and elect from amongst the candidates that are mixed between Christian-Muslim or Muslim-Christian for equity, fairness and promotion of inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogues.

Uba Sani, the Kaduna APC Governorship Cadidate was anointed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai to succeed him. Sani turned round to pick El-Rufai’s Deputy as his own running mate for the 2023 governorship election. “After consultations with critical stakeholders of Kaduna State, I am happy to announce that I have picked Her Excellency, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, as my running mate in the 2023 governorship election in Kaduna State,” Sani said. He claimed that Dr. Hadiza Balarabe has contributed immensely to the giant strides recorded by the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s administration in infrastructure and human capital development.

Senator Uba Sani further claimed that Dr. Balarabe has demonstrated hard work, punctuality, dedication and team spirit in the discharge of her responsibility as Deputy Governor which has endeared her to the critical stakeholders in the State just as he announced thus: “I wish to therefore call on the good people of Kaduna State to support the choice of Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe as my running mate. I also enjoin them coming out en-masse to vote for our ticket during the forthcoming 2023 general election. Your mandate in 2023 will enable us to build a peaceful, prosperous, and greater Kaduna State.”

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, however, condemned Senator Uba Sani’s Muslim-Muslim ticket as absolutely divisive.

According to HURIWA, information available indicate that APC governorship candidate did not consult the large populations of Christians in Southern and Northern Kaduna, alleging that Sani was simply attempting to continue to foist Islamic extremism in the governance of Kaduna State, adding that the Governorship Candidate has, by his choice, shown that he lacks the necessary sensitivity and openness to accommodate persons from all backgrounds who have coexisted as citizens and as one family in Kaduna prior to the advent of the Nasir El-Rufai’s administration which introduced deep divide-and-rule as the mantra of his government.

The rights group blames the Muslims-Muslim-Muslim administration of Nasir El-Rufai for the massive killings of mainly Christian natives of Southern Kaduna by armed Fulani terrorists who have the support of the Kaduna State government clearly.