Muslim-Muslim Ticket: NSCEA Insists Christian Lives Matter!

Nigerian Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA) has reacted to the choice of former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, as the running mate of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying, “Christian Lives Matter!”

The umbrella Christian Supreme Council says that Christian Lives Matter in Nigeria, and no Muslim-Muslim ticket can again be used to embarrass or intimidate Christians in Nigeria at this point in time and at this period when Christians are seriously
being persecuted, kidnapped slaughtered and massacred by Islamist Jihadists.

Speaking at NSCEA, Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, the
Secretary, Elders’ Council, added, “ The ticket is a slap on the face of Christians. We can assure APC that now that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has decided on Muslim-Muslim ticket, all Christians in Nigeria will walk away from his ticket as has been ascertained by the Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), “However, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the spokesman of NEF, said Christians would walk away from his ticket in 2023.”

We shall vote according to our Faith. On NO MUSLIM/MUSLIM TICKET in Nigeria we stand by the grace of God after President Buhari’s eight-year tenure. She also stated further that, “The Muslim/Muslim Ticket has a NATIONAL BODY LANGUAGE that NIGERIA is an ISLAMIC STATE so the ISLAMIST TERRORISTS should feel FREE the more with their conquest.” Is ISLAMIZATION Agenda synonymous with the APC’s definition of Progressives? she asks Asiwaju Tinubu.

Again, based on this Asiwaju Tinubu’s choice of Muslim-Muslim ticket, Anglican Communion in Calabar, Cross River State, in a report by The General News on  July 11, 2022 has demanded the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government. The church also expressed disappointment and rejected outright the All Progressives Congress’ Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 election.

The church also insisted that the secularity of Nigeria must be respected. Dr. Belel and the NNPP logoBishop of Calabar Diocese, Rev Prof Nneoyi Egbe, made the church’s position known during the second session of the Eleventh Synod of the diocese.

The Bishop said, “President Muhammadu Buhari and his government is deceitful, and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians and the heightened insecurity and should resign immediately even though it is not in the spirit of Nigerian politicians to do so.

“The government has no moral rectitude. They have disappointed Nigerians. How can they be so insensitive and comfortable with the way things are going in Nigeria in recent times. They are a complete failure and their governance is likened to witchcraft.

“This government thrives on lies. They said Nigeria is very safe. What a fat lie. There’s security yet people cannot travel freely, sleep, people are kidnapped and outrageous ransoms are paid and people are killed wantonly and government merely sends condolence messages.”

The cleric stated that Nigeria had progressively fallen and now appeared to be rolling down the precipice under very high acceleration. “Nigerians have acclimatised to the lies told us for so long that every further step we take is a comedy. Our institutions are built on these lies which is why we cannot fight corruption,” he added. On what foundation or Buhari’s legacies does APC want to build? Asks NSCEA.

On the choice of running mate by the APC presidential flagbearer, Rev Egbe said, “We absolutely do not, will not, and cannot accept a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket.
“Nigeria’s secularity must be respected by our leaders. No one has more rights than the others.”

Again, Pa Edwin Clark, former Federal Commissioner for Information, says the nomination of Senator Kashim Shettima, as the running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country threatens Nigeria’s unity and could be pointers to islamise Nigeria.

In a statement on Monday, the Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said the APC presidential candidate’s decision could be pointers to the confirmation and actualisation of such rumours to Islamise Nigeria as a country.

“On the reasons adduced by Alhaji Tinubu on why he chose Kashim Shettima as Running-mate, is the APC Presidential Flag bearer telling Nigerians that there’s no Christians in the APC from the north who are “competent, capable and reliable?

“There are rumours of an attempt to Islamise the country. Are all these pointers to the confirmation and actualisation of such rumours?” The elder statesman lamented that Tinubu’s decision will worsen the sharp division presently in Nigeria.

He added, “There’s presently a sharp division in the country, even on religious lines, and all patriots are seeking ways to salvage the situation. Therefore, Tinubu’s decision to take a fellow Muslim(Shettima) as his running mate, will further worsen the situation in the country. He should know that patriotism is a quality of a good leader.”

On this issue of 2023 Presidency :Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim Ticket,  another Christian brother,  Dr Stephen Akintayo has asked some salient questions:
1. Is there no Christian member of APC from the 19 northern states?
2. If religion does not matter but competency, is there not competent Christian in the entire North?
3. If religion does not matter, what about tribe? Does tribe matter?
4. Can APC field Yoruba-Yoruba or Igbo-Igbo ticket?
5. Is APC an Islamic fundamentalist party like violent muslim brotherhood of Egypt?
6. Can Boko-Haram, Ansarudeen and ISWAP accept Christian-Christian ticket?
7. Why are APC supporters unrepentant hypocrites?

Therefore, if you are a Muslim and you support this move, you are not being fair as you will not support a Christian- Christian Ticket. And if you are a Northern Muslim and you support this move, you are not being fair to your fellow Northern Christians.

Nigeria is very divided along religious and ethnic lines. Christians in the North feel that religious genocide and ethnic  cleansing is on going and happening daily. A courageous solution by Asiwaju Tinubu unlike Muhammadu Buhari  would have been to give everyone sense of belonging by creating a very inclusive Government; picking a North East Christian would have shown you will be different from Buhari’s culture of Fulanization, impunity and nepotism.

We at NSCEA have the proof.
So far, so inconsiderate and terrible! This is the present configuration of top political position holders in APC:
1. APC National Chairman: MUSLIM
2. APC Presidential Candidate: MUSLIM
3. APC VP Candidate: MUSLIM
4. Current President for 8yrs: MUSLIM
5. Current Senate President for 8yrs: MUSLIM
6. Chief Justice of Nigeria for 8yrs: MUSLIM
7. IGP for 8yrs: MUSLIM
8. Chief of Army Staff for 8yrs: MUSLIM
9. DSS DG for 8 years: MUSLIM
10. Minister of defence for 8 years: MUSLIM
11. NSA for 8 years: MUSLIM
12. Speaker House of Representatives: MUSLIM
14. 80% of federal appointments in 8 years: MUSLIM, etc., etc., etc.

However, no any Muslim is either crying or complaining  now. NIGERIA IS A MULTI-RELIGIOUS AND MULTI-ETHNIC COUNTRY for crying out loud!! Bishop  Adesanya-Davies concludes, “APC has successfully escalated the issue of religion in Nigeria polity, by refusing to yield to  our call for fairness and the balancing of the presidential ticket for the sake of justice, unity and fairness in the country. Every counsel on No Muslim/Muslim ticket apparently fell on deaf ears!

Thus, NSCEA is strongly determined to sacrifice everything to protect the interest of the Church in Nigeria. We will not be moved by any form of intimidation.

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