The National Christian Elders Forum has described the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari, as an Islamist agenda.
The organisation said this in a statement on Wednesday, adding that it was equally a judicial coup.
The statement, signed by its Chairman, Solomon Asemota, said: “In 2015, Nigerians unwittingly elected an Islamist government into office, supposedly on a platform of democracy. It is with this as background that the questionable suspension of the CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, should be situated. The ‘judicial coup’ is not only against the judiciary, but also the constitution that is under attack and with it, the sovereignty of the Nigerian state as a democratic nation.”
The body, which also has a former Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma, as member, said there was the need to support Christian presidential candidates and indeed any candidate who would be committed and loyal to the tenets of liberal democracy, human rights and equality under the law in the upcoming general election.
Asemota said the Islamists that belonged to the Salafist sect believed that modern society should run according to the 6th century pattern of Islam.
He said: “Islamism is not a religion but a political ideology which holds that wherever Islam is, Islam must dominate.
“That is one reason why Islamism is called political Islam. However, while all Islamists are Muslims, all Muslims are not Islamists. The National Christian Elders Forum is calling on Nigerians to mobilise to resist the Islamists in Nigeria and ensure that they do not return to power again so that Nigerians can concentrate on building a just and equitable society.”
The NCEF said the infrastructure that is sustaining Islamism in Nigeria must be dismantled and democracy promoted, adding: “In order to put an end to the recurring decimal of violence, conflicts, suspicion, distrust, insecurity, poverty and other vices plaguing Nigeria, NCEF reiterates that Nigerians should ensure that Islamists are not voted into power in 2019.”
Apart from Danjuma and Asemota, other members of the NCEF include Prof. Joseph Otubu, General Joshua Dogonyaro (retd), Dr. Ayo Abifarin, General Zamani Lekwot (retd), Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro and Elder Matthew Owojaiye.
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