2023 election: No going back on Muslim-Muslim ticket, say Northern CAN chairmen

State Chairmen of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, have continued to show their dissatisfaction for the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying there’s no going back fight for justice.

They reiterated this stance on Tuesday at secret meeting convened by two chieftains of the APC, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Babachir David Lawal, in Abuja.

Dogara, who is the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, disclosed this on his Twitter handle.

It would be recalled that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim emerged the presidential candidate of the ruling APC for the 2023 elections while the party thereafter opted for another fellow Muslim and former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as the running mate.

But Dogara said the closed door meeting with the Christian leaders from the North and FCT was to decide on a pan-Nigerian platform to embrace in the 2023 elections.

“#NigeriaDecides2023- The Fight for Justice Continues. Today, we held a Consultative Meeting with Christian Leaders From the 19 Northern States and the FCT on the pan-Nigerian platform to adopt in 2023,” he tweeted.

Confirming the meeting to Vanguard, Kaduna state CAN Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, said: “The meeting was well attended in person by all the CAN chairmen from the North except Katsina state.

“We are saying it’s no going back on our stance against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC,” he said.

Asked which political party the Northern Christian leaders have decided to throw their weight behind, Hayab said: “We will meet with leading Christian politicians across party lines to consult with them before deciding on our next line of action. 

“We will also wait for signals from the our (CAN) national body. They will also point us to the way to go, but the Muslim-Muslim ticket is out of the equation. 

“What we had expected from the APC was for them to call the Church together and explain themselves rather than hiring impostors to impersonate genuine Christian leaders.”