NSCEA Rejects Tinubu, Atiku, Saraki, Others, Insists Southern Christian Must Succeed Buhari In 2023

– 2023: CAN rejects Tinubu, Atiku, Saraki, others, insists Southern Christian must succeed Buhari

– On Southern Christian ticket the body of Christ in Nigeria stands in 2023

Nigerian Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA) rejects Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Olusola Saraki, others, insists Southern Christian must succeed President Buhari after his eight-year tenure, come 2023, according to our correspondent at NewsChristian Network, Godwin Asuquo Esq.

He stated that, “The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has admonished the North and Muslim South especially the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former senate president, Bukola Saraki, and others to bury their 2023 presidential ambition, and support the clamour for a Southern Christian to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, in News widely reported on March 3, 2022.

One of the reporters at NewsChristian Network, Godwin Asuquo, confirmed that, “CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, ascertains the Christian body has taken a position to support the call for the next President to be a Christian from the South, even as he maintained that CAN has no candidate for the Presidency, but will not accept a Muslim-Muslim APC/PDP ticket. On this we stand!

Adding that, “Rev. Dr. Ayokunle stated CAN’s position, when he addressed a session of Christian leaders and European Union Delegation led by the EU Chief Election Observer, Ms. Maria Arena on a mission to the country from 1-5 March in preparation for the coming general election observation.

The EU Delegation wanted to know the position of CAN on the preparation of all the stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the political parties. Rev. Ayokunle said: “Even if the constitution is silent on the six geopolitical zones rotational representation, the political parties should be wise enough to make use of it in sharing the leadership positions.

“We have warned all political parties against fielding either Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian Presidential candidates. Since President Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim from the North, in the interest of equity, fairness, social justice and cohesion, the next President should be a Christian from the South,” says Ayokunle.

Again, speaking on the issue with the Secretary General of the Elder’s Council of Nigerian Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA), Bishop Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, at the same event stated categorically that, NSCEA has decided , “On Southern Christian ticket the body of Christ in Nigeria stands in 2023.” In fact, No Southern Christian ticket, No votes, No presidential election, because no Christian will be found at any polling booth to vote in an APC/PDP, Muslim-Muslim options for 2023 presidency, because Christians are not aliens to Nigeria. Nigeria is our country and fatherland. We presume Christians are Nigerians and this will not be allowed to happen, but till then!

She further clarifies in her words, “There are a dozen of reasons why the next President of Nigeria must come from Southern Christian. Firstly, we all know that Nigeria has a double divide of South and North accountable to ethnicity and geographical boundaries and President Mohammadu Buhari will soon complete the eight years of the Northern rule. Secondly, Nigeria has a double divide of two major religious groups- Christian/Muslim, and Mohammadu Buhari will similarly soon complete the eight years of Muslims’ rule. Thirdly, it is expected that when it’s time for the South to rule, the choice would be a Christian from the predominantly Christian South just as choices have been Muslims from the predominantly Muslim North whenever it’s their turn. Fourthly, the gentleman agreement of North/South which thus implies Muslim-Christian rotation by the two main parties, APC and PDP cannot now suddenly be discarded.

Fifthly, so would the implementation of Christian-Muslim rotation not be discarded when it’s the turn of Christian South, no, not now, no way at all. Sixthly, there was no such complaint by the Christians in in 2019 when BUHARI and ATIKU double Muslim tickets were fixed by PDP and APC and the Muslims were contented and as such the peace loving Nigerian Muslims should revolt against this if other wise. Seventhly, it is now undoubtedly Southern Christian-Christian double party tickets in 2023, not even Christian-Muslim by either APC/PDP ticket. I can go on and on with these endless list of reasons but time will not permit me….

Thus, PDP should emulate their APC counterpart by zoning their Presidential primaries to the South, and by extension the Christians because this isn’t negotiable but the only feceable and wise thing to do. As an academic, Professor Davies added, “The question is not about, “Who ruled last in a particularly party?” as PDP claims but, “Who ruled last in Nigeria?” That is the right and correct question to be asked; because the subject is about national and not party discourse. We should always think first about Nigeria and not individual ambition or self and party gratification for God’s sake, so as not to confuse and misdirect the Nigerian populace and allow peace to reign.

We are watching, she further states, “Therefore on Southern Christian ticket CAN and NSCEA stand in 2023 for presidential election. This is just a matter of equality, respect, boundaries and common sense which doesn’t require so much explanations.” And as CAN rightly puts it succinctly: “Since President Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim from the North, in the interest of equity, fairness, social justice and cohesion, the next President should be a Christian from the South.”

Adesanya-Davies further explains, “We also should be reminded and guided, now and always, that the President and Vice President ticket cannot be Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket but rather Muslim-Christian ticket or Christian-Muslim ticket as CAN President has clarified. And President Buhari will just completed a Muslim-Christian ticket and as such, next is the Christian-Muslim ticket of President/VP. We are not confused and no one should be confused for the sake of peace, unity and progress in the nation.

CAN and NSCEA also seize the opportunity to reinstate that, “the menace of insecurity challenges occasioned by criminal activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers serves as the biggest threat to the next year’s general election, which is sad, regrettable and unacceptable. Hopefully, we think Muhammadu Buhari’s APC-led government would be able to secure the country before then.’

NSCEA wishes the nation, Nigeria all the best in the upcoming presidential election of 2023 and other elections.

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