The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has accused those criticizing his choice of Kashim Shettima as his running mate of lobbying him for the same position.

Tinubu said some of those criticizing his choice of Shettima as running mate were his close friends whom he turned down.

He disclosed this during an interactive session with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abuja, led by Archbishop Daniel Ukoh.

Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and close ally of Tinubu, had condemned the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Lawal described the decision to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket as “a disastrous error.”

Also, an erstwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, urged Christians to vote against the APC following Tinubu’s decision to settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Some other Nigerians had accused the APC flagbearer of plotting to Islamize Nigeria.

Speaking during the session, Tinubu dismissed the Islamization claims in some quarters.

The APC presidential candidate also dismissed claims of trying to suppress Christians with his choice of a running mate.

He said, “People have reacted harshly to my selection. They are my friends, they lobbied me and wanted to be my running mate but I bluntly rejected them.

“The rumour that this is some plot to suppress the Christian community is untrue and unfortunate. I don’t have that kind of agenda.

“I can no more suppress the Christians of this nation than I can suppress the Christians in my own household, my very family, I cannot Islamise Nigeria.”