The Christian Association of Nigeria has said that the All Progressives Congress has shown desperation for the votes of Christians through any means despite flying a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential race.
This was made known by the Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of CAN, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, on Wednesday.
Recall that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has nominated a fellow Muslim, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.
Hayab, who spoke in Kaduna, the Kaduna State capital, made this position known following a report that a group: Progressive Christian Clerics, North-West Zone, had endorsed the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
According to the group, which claimed that its membership cut across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, said Nigerians should be more concerned about electing leaders with capacity to tackle the daring security challenges and economic problems militating against the country’s progress rather than issues of religious and ethnic sentiments.
This was contained in a statement issued by its acclaimed Zonal Chairman, Rev. Moses Bitrus of Arise and Shine Prophetic Ministry, Kaduna.
But Hayab, while denying the existence of such a group, said: “I have all my life lived in Kaduna and as a Minister of the gospel and been opportune to interact and know most of the Pastors in Kaduna, to the best of my ability, l don’t know the name of the zonal chairman nor the existence of a group like that.
“It is a pity that with the desperation of the APC presidential candidate to convince Nigerians that they are being supported by the Christians in the country will definitely attract non-existent group of people in the name of Christians claiming to support their candidacy to milk them.
“If they had seen Christians as important, l strongly believe they would have been consulted and carried along in the struggle of the presidency by the APC in nominating the running mate to its presidential candidate.
“Using names, groups or organisations that are alleged to be Christians will not change the reality of what CAN is talking about.
“Christians in the country know the difference between their genuine leaders from opportunists parading themselves as Christian groups.
“Genuine Christians leaders will continue to speak out against divisive actions in the polity of the nation so that generations yet unborn will have a peaceful and united country.
“Anything that is not in the interest of all Nigerians CAN will not support it.
“CAN will distance itself from things that are meant to separate and cause suspicion, disharmony and hatred among the good people of Nigeria that desire the best from the leadership of the country.
“CAN will continue to preach peace, love and unity among its followers, believing that it is the only way they could live in peace without any form of suspicion but togetherness among Nigerians.”