Muslim-Muslim ticket: CAN disowns ‘Progressive Christian Clerics’

The Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has disowned a group, the Progressive Christian Clerics, North-West zone, saying that such association does not exist.

The association also wondered about the desperation of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidency as he adopt all forms of tactics to deceive Nigerians as regards the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party.

According to the CAN, the desperation of the APC and its presidential candidate is laughable.

The state CAN Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, who spoke to newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, expressed concern over a comment credited to the so-called Progressive Christian Cleric, North-West Zone, saying there was no such group in existence.

The Progressive Christian Clerics North-West Zone led by one Rev. Moses Bitrus of Arise and Shine Prophetic Ministry Kaduna had claimed they had thrown their weight behind the APC Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket while encouraging other Christians across the region to support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2023 presidential election.

The group had also claimed that its membership cut across the 19 Northern States and Abuja, declaring that Nigerians should be more concerned about electing leaders with the capacity to tackle the security and economic challenges rather than bothering on religious and ethnic sentiments.

However, Hayab, who’s also the Vice-Chairman of Northern CAN distanced the association from the group.

According to him, members of the group were mere opportunists parading themselves as a Christian group, adding that genuine Christian leaders would continue to speak out against such divisive action.

He added that an unknown group suddenly springing up in the name of endorsing the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC Presidential candidate, simply shows how desperate the party was in their attempt in getting the support of Christians not minding the genuineness of those involved(group).

Hayab said, “I have all my life lived in Kaduna and as a Minister of the Gospel, l have been opportune to interact and know most of the Pastors(clerics) in Kaduna. To the best of my ability or knowledge, l don’t know the name of the zonal chairman or the existence of a group like that.

“It is a pity that the desperation of the APC presidential candidates to convince Nigerians that they are being supported by the Christians in the country will definitely attract a non-existence group of people in the name of Christians claiming to support their candidacy in order to milk them.

“If the Christians were important, l strongly believed 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 and organisations that are alleged to be Christians will not change the reality of what CAN is talking about.”

Hayab continued that CAN would never support anything that was not in the interest of Nigerians, adding that the Christian body would distance itself from such things that will cause disharmony, and hatred among Nigerians.

The Christian leader said CAN would continue to preach peace, love and unity among its followers, saying that that would be the only way to guarantee peace devoid of suspicion among Nigerians irrespective of religion and ethnic divide.