2023 Polls: Muslim-Muslim ticket, trampling on our religious rights, says Council of Church Leaders

The Council of Church Leaders and Ministers have expressed disappointment in the choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as its presidential flagbearer for the 2023 election.

The group stated this in a press conference in Ilorin, Kwara state capital on Monday, to kick start its 26th edition of the annual fellowship conference.

The conference is themed “The Church in the time like this”.

Addressing the media on the state of the nation, the chairman of the council, Pastor Abel Aiyedogbon, said “our political leaders are not sensitive to the feelings of the citizens of the country because the behaviour of the political class most of the time evidently shows that personal ambition and interest are the overriding goal and not patriotism.

“How will anybody think about fielding candidates of the same religion for the first and the second place when the constitution of the country recognizes secularity.

“One will not be wrong to say that trampling on the religious rights of Nigerian is manifest in the idea of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which some people are now championing. It should be noted that people maligned and presented as inconsequential are not likely to forget.

“The suggestion of a Muslim-Muslim ticket is all about impunity and a callous lack of consideration for others.

“It is a form of religious intolerance to even contemplate either a Muslim-Muslim ticket or Christian-Christian ticket.

“Any party that thinks or believes that the Christian population can be ignored without consequences will be doing so to her peril.
One may ask; As the case presents, does it means that the Northern Christians have no electoral value?

“Contrary to the perception of some political leaders who believe that religion will not be a factor in the choice of presidential running mate this body, we hasten to warn that any party that underrates our electoral value will be doing so to her disadvantage.

The political class can decide to field whosoever they like just as much as we have our right to vote candidate of our choice.

The group however stated the churches and Christian body will play a key role in the forthcoming election.

“We are assuring you that the Chuch and Christian organizations will play a more significant role in the current dispensation than before and we shall deploy our strategy when the time come.

Talking on the conference, Pastor Aiyedogbon said the conference is basically for Ministers, Church Leaders, Church Workers and Christians stated that the objectives of the conference are to train and re-train ministers, church leaders, and workers, raise future ministers, leaders and provide up to date information on current development and state of affairs (nationally and internationally) and how members can leverage events around them to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Disclosed further that they are expecting more than eight hundred participants.

The group also condemned the Insecurity, call for Judiciary independence and appeal to FG over the ongoing ASUU strike.