The Nigeria National Christian Coalition NNCC, a Christian Political Empowerment Forum, has said that the Muslim-Muslim Ticket, floated by the standard bearer of the APC, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu is an insult and a dare to the Church in Nigeria.
The forum said his choice of a man who is identified with the killers of Christians, who always identify with and advocates for the interests of these killers, and who has been unapologetic about his actions leaves Christians in utter perplexity about Tinubu’s self-confession to be a lover of adherents of the faith. His choice of Shettima has not only despised Christians; he has pitched his tent with the enemies and the killers of indigenous Christian populations in the North and South of Nigeria. Tinubu is now equally accountable for their blood which is crying for justice.
In a press release signed by Apostle Titi Oluwadare, convener, trustee and vision coordinator of the Nigerian National Christian Coalition NNCC, the coalition said the first concern for them was the perception that Nigeria is a Fulani farm where they can do anything.
‘Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), spoke to the entire Southern Nigerian people after Southern Governors met in Enugu and demanded that the next President of Nigeria must come from the South. Hakeem, the mouthpiece of the Northern Fulani Muslim establishment, shouted down the South and its 17 governors and boasted that his North had enough votes to defeat them and produce the next President. He said: “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are President or vice-president, we will lead Nigeria.
‘We were so glad that Revd. Shehu Luke, Chairman of the Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors [ACIPA], responded that “The Hausa are fast re-awakening to the consciousness of their ancestral land- the menace of the Fulani and marginalization. This has been proven with proclamations of elitists Hausas as much as commoners. This holds the same with all other tribes in Northern Nigeria as well as Southern Nigeria. By the same token, there is a huge dissent in the North against running mate for Asiwaju Tinubu. It has become evident that Nigerians desire a shift from the past, and all attempts to resist the shift may spell doom.’
MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET IS THE HEIGHT OF INSENSITIVITY! – Pastor Femi Paul
‘While Tinubu understands the growing anti-Fulani hegemony because of the negative roles associated with the ethnic groups and so decided to ride on it and insisted on a candidate from the North-east, he, however, made the greatest blunder of his political career by choosing a man whose tenure in Borno Government house caused the Church of God great pains and left the Christians in Borno in quandary and despondence.
‘When APC started their Muslim-Muslim ticket idea, we imagined that they would engage with Christians and include them in their decision-making as any inclusive party would do. But they did not. Tinubu, in bowing to this pressure and choosing Shettima, has spat in the face of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ in Nigeria, and he must be ready for the consequences.
OUR RECOMMENDATION
The coalition said given the above, which they found in all consultations with their networking partners and leaders of the Christian faith in Nigeria, they make these recommendations to all Christians and churches in Nigeria:
APC is an enemy party to all Christians in Nigeria because of the above-enumerated facts. Given that, neither we nor any of our networks are ready for any negotiations or discussions with APC. We advise that any Christian who engages with APC or votes for them in any regard is doing so as an enemy of the Church. Many other Christians and we tried our best to avert this possibility, but none of the engagements with APC was countenanced, and the party was not inclusive of Christian interests, which is further confirmed by their recent actions and choices. Therefore, we boldly say we have no option but to encourage our people to engage with the other two viable parties.
The coalition, however, said in engaging with Atiku’s and Peter Obi’s tickets, they are looking wide-eyed at them given Christian interests, which must be considered by them.
‘Peter Obi with, a Fulani Muslim VP candidate, or Atiku, a Fulani Muslim with a Christian VP, must understand that a silent revolution is happening in Nigeria: Youth Inclusion Revolution. It is a revolution leading them to become equal stakeholders, a new generation mindset and approach to leadership. We are not just about the Christian faith. Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, are embracing all the above.
‘We are now very politically conscious. The body of Christ, with groups like ours, can now analyze policies and positions. So, it will not be business as usual. The era of fiefdom is over. NNCC will, in the coming months, reveal the areas of negotiations that are important to Christians and enable the parties to show us which one best serves Christian interests based on discussions with Christians across the nation.
‘This time, it’s not about appointments or money. It is about dignity and the interests of the Body of Christ. We will no longer be negotiated or cajoled into servitude or bondage. If politicians pretend they don’t want an Islamic nation, their utterances, conduct, and actions prove otherwise. We will not sit aside and allow politicians to turn Nigeria into an Islamic country. We, therefore, demand equity and change.
The coalition believes in the empowerment, political consciousness and strategic positioning and political engagement of the Church in Nigeria. We represent Christians and negotiate as a Christian Pressure Group and a Christian political base for Christians in Nigeria. God has mandated us to engage with other stakeholders in Nigeria for a national rebirth. He has also instructed us to work towards a Generational shift and the evolution of a New Nigeria and a new breed of leaders, as well as a new political dispensation which will evolve from the 50 million Youth Population in Nigeria so that Nigeria can transition to a new Generation in peace and harmony.
