Reject same-faith ticket, Northern group urges Nigerians

The Chairman of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum, Oyinehi Ejoga, on Saturday, asked Christians to reject the All Progressives Congress same-faith presidential ticket of  Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Ejoga, who spoke while addressing delegates at the NOSCEF’s national congress in Kaduna, said it was time for Christians to rise against the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC, otherwise, it would come to stay in future elections in the country.

According to him, the insistence of the APC despite the national outcry that trailed the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket shows that the party had no iota of respect for Christians in the country, adding that if nothing is done now, Christians will be at receiving end in the future.

He said, “Unpatriotic politicians will use any formula they can apply to win elections, whether it hurts or not, and promise to placate as APC is doing after all the pleas. They will discard any formula that makes them lose elections in the future.

“Make the single faith ticket unattractive for the future by killing it now or render yourselves forever an irrelevant commodity in the election equation for the future.

“A people easily persuaded by personal and selfish gains to the destruction of the Body will be a Judas to the Christendom. Let us be men and women of principles and loyalty to God.

“We enjoin all lovers of Nigeria across faith to reject the single faith ticket to frustrate politics of exclusion that is mindful of regional balance but insensitive to faith inclusion.”

Guest speaker at the event, Prof. Josiah Onaolapo, said it was time for Christians across the country to actively participate in politics to correct some ills in the country.

Speaking on theme: ‘Politics today: which way for Northern Christians,’ Onaolapo, noted that absence of Christians in politics in the land was responsible for the sorry state of affairs of Nigeria at the moment.

He said, “Christians must join politics. After God, politics directs the country. So the Church should be part and parcel of those that direct Nigeria.

“If Christians are serious in politics, we won’t be where we are today in the country. The Church had been acting as moral compass without being practitioners. So, it is time we wake up.”

Onaolapo, who lamented the persecution of Christians in the North, added that in the entire region, only three states are being governed by Christians in the North made up of 19 states.

He, therefore, noted that the 2023 general election is a threat to the political viability of the Northern Christians, pointing out that northern Christians must take their destiny into their hands or else they are doomed for life.

He said, “There is no state in the north that doesn’t have about 30 per cent of Christians in northern states including Sokoto and Zamfara States.

“What are we doing with our population? It is time to use our number to bring about political change.

“It is a known fact that Muslims in the north will vote for their brothers.

“Unfortunately I have seen that when it is the turn of north to get the Presidential slot, Christians will gravitate around northern Muslims.

“When it is time for the south, we gravitate around Southern Christians. Is it not a shame.

He added, “Does it mean we don’t have Christians in the north that can be president? A party said Northern Christians are politically worthless in Nigeria, that was why they chose another Muslim as Vice Presidential candidate.

“Do you blame them, the answer is no. They see you as purchasable. 2023 election is a threat to the political viability of the northern Christians.

“We must fight as if our lives depend on it. If you allow the door to close against northern Christians, the door is closed forever.

“If we allow the door to be closed against Christians in Kaduna, the door is closed forever.

“Northern Christians must take their destiny in their hands, if not, they will be wiped out politically. The political equation in Nigeria will be wiped out.”