Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has vowed to vote against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for going ahead with his Muslim-Muslim ticket agenda in the 2023 general elections.
Archbishop Onaiyekan, revealed this on Wednesday, at a lecture entitled: “The Church as an Agent of Dialogue and Reconciliation In Our Community In Quest For a Just and Peaceful Social Order”.
He delivered the lecture at the ongoing first synod of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo at St. Kizito Pastoral Centre, Ede, Osun State, on Wednesday.
“The APC has taken its own decision in flying Muslim-Muslim ticket for the presidential election as a party to win at the poll and accepted the responsibility for taking the decision and I will also take my electoral decision by not voting for the party. They have taken their political decision and I have taken my electoral decision as well.
“There is no point telling them not to take such a decision, all you can say is that they will have to accept responsibility for the decision they have taken. I only have one voter’s card and by God’s grace, I will use it. I will definitely not vote for Muslim-Muslim ticket, that is my decision.
“But since it is a political decision of a political party, what the church can do officially is bring out this fact and tell people that they should take their political decision accordingly.
“When the APC election leadership appointed Governor of Plateau State, Solomon Lalong, as the Director of Campaign of APC who is a Catholic, he took the decision politically.
“The only time when we called him to order was when he dragged the name of the Pope into the appointment and political discussion, he tendered his apology which was accepted by us because he is a member of Papal Knight.
“APC is still considered as a legitimate party in Nigeria. Many Catholics are in APC not only as members but hold vital positions. According to our church, we are not involved in partisan politics.”
Onaiyekan frowned at the high level of insecurity and criminalities in the country, challenging the government to dialogue with leaders of different groups that are causing mayhem to reduce the crime.
