From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has vowed to mobilise christians to produce the successor of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Its President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, who made the pledge solicited the support and unity of christian political leaders across the six geo-political zones to make the vision to reality.
He disclosed this during an interview with journalists after delivering a sermon, “Defeating your enemies through the power of unity” at COCIN Church Rahwol Kanang, Jos, Plateau State, yesterday.
He said CAN would also mobilise its members to resist Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim ticket in 2023 in view of the religious plurality of Nigeria.
“Christian politicians should brace up and make themselves available for leadership, it is time. A Muslim is getting out of office and in a country where God has naturally divided us into hundred of millions, a christian politician should be ready to take over leadership. That is the wisdom that will make this nation survive; when all the ethnic and religious groups are given fair play in the scheme of things. Christians voters also should be able to vote wisely this time around.
“Let me say it clearly that any party that presents Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim ticket is going to fail in 2023. We will mobilise the christian body to fight against that proposition…Nigeria is a plural society with complexities, we must learn to manage it very well so that we can give everybody sense of belonging.”
He described Christians and Muslims as critical partners in the running of Nigeria as no faith can leave out another in political calculation ahead of the 2023 presidential election and win independently.
“I want both Christians and Muslims to come to understanding that will continue to keep us together and the nation.
He emphasised that Christians have the population that is higher than the number of vote President Muhammadu Buhari garnered in 2019 election.
“How many million votes does a candidate need to emerge as president? In the last election, the president had about 14 million votes and that is not more than a population of two denominations in Nigeria, let alone the entire Christian body.If we are united, I can see rightly in the spirit, God knows the person and we by the mind of the spirit, we can know the person God want to use. We have leadership in CAN, and if we listen to the leadership, it will be well with us,” he stated.