•••SAYS CANDIDATE, RUNNING MATE OF SAME RELIGION PLOY TO STOKE RELIGIOUS WAR
The Christian Association of Nigeria has threatened to mobilize against any political party and its presidential candidate who attempts to foist a Christian/Christian or Muslim Muslim ticket on the country in the 2023 general elections.
The foremost religious body advised all the presidential candidates to ensure that they pick running mates of alternate religions in the country.
CAN made the repeated call in an open letter to all presidential candidates of political parties signed by its Secretary General, Rev Joseph Bade Daramola, with the title ‘A Time for Wisdom to Seek the Common Good’ on Tuesday.
Daramola insisted that CAN would not accept any presidential candidate and running mate with the same religion because Nigeria remains a country of religious diversity.
He said that any attempt to impose a presidential ticket of a candidate and running mate of the same religion on the country is a deliberate ploy to cause a religious war.
According to him, the call has become necessary in view of the increasing religion-fueled terrorism and the recent slaughter of scores of innocent worshippers at Owo, Ondo State.
He warned that with the current situation of religious fundamentalism in Nigeria, and its implications on policy formulation, any move to offer Nigerians a ticket of same religion will stoke religious conflicts and destabilize the nation.
The statement added that CAN, though non partisan, has a responsibility to mobilize against threats to peace and security in the country.
The body insisted that only a ticket that acknowledges the religious diversity of the country would be seen to be valid.
“As the umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria, we call on all the presidential candidates to choose men or women of alternative religion as their runningmates.
“For avoidance of doubt, CAN will not accept any presidential ticket that is Christian-Christian or Muslim- Muslim. This simply means that where the presidential candidate of the party is a Christian, the deputy should be a Muslim; and where the presidential candidate is a Muslim, the deputy should be a Christian.
“There should not be a situation where the presidential ticket of a political party in Nigeria, whether a major or minor party, will be two Christians as presidential candidate and runningmate, or two Muslims as presidential candidate and runningmate. All within us as Nigerians must be done to douse religious and ethnic tensions in the land.
“This minimum requirement for a valid presidential ticket in the Nigeria of today is that it is religiously diverse. With the crisis of religious fundamentalism and its mainstreaming into policymaking and administrative actions in Nigeria today, anything short of a Christian-Muslim or Muslim-Christian ticket is an undisguised effort to nurture religious conflicts and destabilize the country.
“In the context of growing religiously motivated terrorism, the recent being the dastard terror attack in a church in Owo, Ondo State, that killed scores of Christian worshippers in which the Federal Government fingered the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), conceiving and executing any plot to have both the President and Vice President come from the same religion is a deliberate effort to ignite the fire of religious warfare in Nigeria.
“The weaponization of religious difference in the recent past as never before is a cause for concern and a sufficient reason for those of us who do not want this nation to go into avoidable crisis to cry out now. It will be plain disrespect for diverse religious communities in Nigeria for any party to go against common sense to foist a single religious ticket in a religious plural country with serious problems of religious extremism and violence on Nigerians. No party in Nigeria can deny the existence of credible men and women from both Islam and Christianity that can be their Presidential and runningmate.
“Whereas CAN is not a partisan organization and does not involve itself with the process of partisan politics, it has a responsibility to defend the religious freedom of Nigerian citizens, whether Christians or not. CAN has a responsibility to speak out and mobilize civic action against threats to the unity, peace and security of the Nigerian state.
“Therefore, we give notice to all political parties that we will protect the religious diversity of the Nigerian state and will mobilize politically against any political party that sows the seed of religious conflict by presenting to Nigeria a presidential ticket that is Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian. We will consider such action as a declaration of war against the freedom of religion, the peace and security of the Nigerian state. We will consider such insensitive action as evidence of a deliberate action to plunge the country further into religious violence and extremism and destroy the foundations of the continuation of the Nigerian state.
“As the presidential candidates prepare to nominate their runningmates, we sound the note of warning, through this letter, that only a diversified presidential ticket will be acceptable to Nigeria in line with the constitutional requirement of power sharing and the responsibility of sensitivity to Nigeria’s deep religious diversity.”
He said further that while the political parties have the constitutional rights to decide who becomes their candidates in an election, the expression of such a fight calls for responsibility and accountability.
CAN urged party members to be sensitive to the issues confronting the country and to focus on the promotion of the common good.
“We pray that God will give the political elites the wisdom to seek peace and prosperity for the mistreated citizens of Nigeria and avoid the path of provocations that lead to violent conflict.
“ May God guide our leaders to become statesmen and women who are dedicated to the promotion of the common good and not the mindless pursuit of destructive selfishness.
“A word is enough for the wise!
May God lead you and your Presidential candidate the grace to do the NEEDFUL that will guarantee the peace and unity of this country in Jesus Name.” The statement added