The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described as untrue, the reports making the rounds that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has resolved the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket with the leadership of the association.
The Star recalls that the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the South-West, had, on July 10, announced Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from the North-East region of the country, as his running mate ahead of the 2023 general election, leading to a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket had elicited criticism from some Nigerians, including CAN, describing it as an “injustice” to the Christian community.
Reports recently emerged that Tinubu met to resolve the APC’s decision to fly a Muslim-Muslim with CAN.
The media report further claimed that the apex Christian body has changed its position regarding the same-faith ticket.
However, CAN, in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Assistant on Media to the CAN President, Luminous Jannamike, said the report was “ridiculous, malicious, untrue, and should be disregarded in its entirety by all reasonable members of the society.”
Jannamike added: “For the records, CAN took a position against the same-faith ticket imbroglio under the leadership of Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle, its immediate past national president, and as a matter of fact, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh, stands on that same position.
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“CAN may not agree with every decision taken by politicians and political parties, but it respects their right to reach conclusions on issues that affect their electoral fortunes so long as they accord with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act (2022),
“For the umpteenth time, CAN reiterates that it is non-partisan, but remains willing to partner with all leaders and other relevant stakeholders towards achieving unity, peace and progress in our nation.
“Consequently, the umbrella Christian organisation cannot be antagonistic to any well-meaning political party or group as the nation warms up for a fresh round of elections in 2023 as claimed in the said report.
“In the same vein, it strongly condemns the attempt to make a mountain out of molehill with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presence at the 70th Birthday Celebration of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The event was public and the friends of the celebrant and other good-spirited Nigerians donated to the building of The Kukah Centre, which is designed to be a veritable platform to propagate and promote the ideals of democracy and responsible leadership through research and intellectualism.
“The donations, which went directly to The Kukah Centre, have nothing to do with CAN. It is therefore mischievous to insinuate it was a sort of bribe money for Christian leaders to make a u-turn on its stance against same-faith ticket.”
Jannamike further stated that as faith-based organisation, CAN cannot be bought, noting that the association’s prophetic voice cannot be silenced with money.
“We call on political parties and their candidates to put the nation first in their considerations and prepare to serve the people with earnestness and humility,” he noted.
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