From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has condemned Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying that it is a monster against peace and unity of Nigeria.
The Association also said that a same faith ticket for the 2023 presidential election breaches the Nigerian Federal character constitutional principle.
In a press statement signed by the Kaduna CAN chairman, Rev Joseph Hayab alleged that the ruling party is biased in government and against some specific tribes in Nigeria.
“Today there are a lot of concerns from Nigerians over a particular party’s consideration of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, last week we stated our position in clear terms to establish that the ill decision of a particular political party is not for us a thing of concern, where we clearly illustrated, that when I wish to eat rice and beans and a particular restaurant chooses to cook only white rice that has not given me any reason to worry because simply what I will need to do is to move to the other restaurants that have prepared what I desire to eat.
“However, just to state the obvious on the matter at hand, though the electorates have no reason to raise eyebrows over a wrong decision by any political party. But that we have no reason to be worried about it does not also suggest that such a decision is not condemnable.
“The implication of such a decision is that such a candidate has no respect for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, it also suggests that the candidate is just a candidate that priorities selfishness, greed and personal unhealthy interest over the good of the nation.
“The Federal character principle that we talked of above was the product of Gen Yakubu Gowon Administration when after the Civil War it was believed that a particular group occupied major ministries in the nation.
“But clearly we all know, many have just course to argue that leadership in Nigeria in the most recent past is with high ethnic nepotism, well one can rightly say this is another phase of it in religious shade.
“It is sad that the constitution clearly states that “ The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”
The statement added, “To remove bias in government against any specific tribe, at least in form, the Nigerian Federal Character Framework was authoritatively captured in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution with this description: “…the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.
“This statement is to ensure the principle that all public service institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, religious, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the country. the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”