An Open Letter To Nigerian Political Party Leaders, Federal Government & MWL

2023 Elections: Re-Muslim Leaders in Nigeria to ensure Two Leading Parties Produce Muslim Presidential Candidates

– Adesanya-Davies Warns Muslim World League (MWL), ‘Don’t divide Nigeria!’

In accordance with INEC’s timetable, all political consultation in Nigeria currently zeroes in, on the 2023 presidential elections; and we at Nigerian Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA) are watching and have surprisingly read in the news the firm advice and instruction recently given by the Muslim World League (MWL), a Saudi Arabia funded NGO based in Mecca to some Muslim leaders in Nigeria in order to ensure, “that the two leading political parties in the country produce Muslim Presidential candidates for the 2023 elections.”

As we speak to disclose and clarify this to the correspondent at NewsChristian Network, the news account fully reads in details as follows:

“The Muslim World League, a Saudi Arabia funded NGO based in Mecca, has sent a message to some Muslim leaders in Nigeria to ensure that the two leading political parties in the country produce Muslim Presidential Candidates for the 2023 Elections. This, the organisation emphasized, is to ensure that only a Muslim succeeds President Mohammadu Buhari who has done well in promoting Islam in Nigeria.The MWL stressed the importance of consolidating on the recent gains of the Islamic religion in Nigeria.

Some Nigerians however see this as an unacceptable foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria. PMB recently warned diplomats in Nigeria against any interference in the internal affairs of the country.”

NSCEA unreservedly condemns the flagrant act of discrimination against anyone, especially Christian political candidates, who intend not contest any position, not only at the presidential level but at all levels on the grounds of religion or Christian tribes. Such discrimination will not be tolerated or condoned in any of the parties by the Christian communities in the nation whether at the local government, state or federal level, as this is unconstitutional and thus unacceptable, we must state.

NSCEA has over and over again lamented the persecution, marginalization and victimisation of Christians in Nigeria and so we speak once again against this injustice, it’s time to restructure Nigeria. Speaking to our correspondent at NewsChristian Network, Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, the Secretary General of the Elders Council, NSCEA says, “we were so disappointed and it was so disheartening to read such a news against the Christian community in Nigeria from a Saudi-based NGO.”

To say the least, this news is most inciting and as such we advice MWL or whatever their name is, an ordinary NGO in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to work within their limits, and do not to divide Nigeria. We as well sincerely agreed that President Mohammadu Buhari has done well in promoting Islam in Nigeria especially when he removed Nigeria from several international groups but not the Islamic bodies such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and others.”Buhari’s Federal Government announced the withdrawal of the country from 90 of the 310 international organisations whose membership it holds.” (See Breaking NEWS: Nigeria exits 90 int’l bodies. September 28, 2017, by Johnbosco Agbakwuru).

Moreover, Saudi Arabia created Islamic Military Alliance Against Terrorism (ISMAT) which Buhari joined while such a decision has serious implications for peace and security in our country and should not be taken without proper and transparent consultations and considerations. Buhari also ensured the transcendental position of the Fulanis his tribe above others as observed in his lopsided appointments, despite saying that ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody’ refusing to ‘Belong to all of us”, as Col Umar writes on, June 1, 2020.

Therefore, following Buhari’s exit, the consolidation of such gains should be noted, would definitely be impossible in Nigeria by the special grace of Almighty God because Nigeria is a secular, multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation; and the gap must be closed permanently in future for sake of sanity and prosterity. It won’t be business as usual, we assure you.

Again, this is an unacceptable foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria. In accordance with the president, realising the damages and dangers so far, “President Muhammadu Buhari himself, has recently warned diplomats and whoever against any interference in the internal affairs of the country.”

It’s obvious that the Muslim community has just completed their eight years tenure of governance in Nigeria and as such, next is the Christian ticket, as usual. So, on Christian presidential candidate we stand in 2023.

Christian are endangered species in Nigeria with flagrant infringements of their God’s-given fundamental human rights. We are denied our rights which are clearly written in the constitution and we are continuously massively being massacred under the guise of being infidels, martyrdom and jihad in Nigeria, and all these would need to stop henceforth.

Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies
Secretary, Elders Council, NSCEA
Nigerian Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA)