By Adesina Soyooye

“Christians and, indeed, most enlightened Nigerians are at a loss as to why people that intend to govern a country with our kind of diversity would choose this path to power. This is very divisive and must be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a former Secretary to  the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, has said that the Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket of the Party is a deliberate act meant to not only spite Christians but exclude them from all cadres of leadership in Nigeria

Lawal made this assertion at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit held in Abuja on Fridauy, July 29, 2022.

Regretting that the APC has brought about a situation where the 2023 General elections will be all about religion, the former SGF, said the ticket is a continuation of the brazen exclusion of Christians in the North even in the appointment of Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts in tertiary institutions in the North. He reeled out the appointments with data.

He, also, revealed that the deliberate exclusion of Northern Christians from the scheme of things extended to,  even  the composition of the membership of the APC National Working Committee, NWC, and National Executive Council, NEC, where there are no Christians. He accused the APC of promoting an anti-Christian agenda.

Lawal: “Proof of its anti-Christian agenda is that our Party itself has completely eliminated Northern Christians from its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC). All our protestations as Party members have been completely ignored by the Party Leadership.”

He said as Northern Christians, “We see the ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational economic and political marginalisation of the Northern Nigrian Christians.”

He disclosed that the agenda of the Muslim-Muslim is just unfolding but said that Christians would resist it adding that: “The PVC and prayers will be our weapon of choice and we will mercifully deploy them in 2023.”

Following excerpts from Lawal’s address:

“We will not give up until we get Justice. I have heard friends and colleagues within and even outside the APC express some shock and even disbelieve over our reaction to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections.

“Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced the Deputy Governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna States.

“Now it is wholly Muslim-Muslim tickets. It is worth noting that all these are happening in APC-controlled states. They are threatening to do likewise in Gombe, Kogi and Adamawa States.

“It is also now a recurring practice in the North, whereby any Christian Traditional Rulers that dies is replaced with a Muslim Prince albeit from the ruling family even if the most qualified and preferred Prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri Chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds.

“Proof of its anti-Christian agenda is that our party itself has completely eliminated northern Christians from its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Council (NEC). All our protestations as party members have been completely ignored by the party leadership. But as members of the APC, we have the right to continue to express our indignation at these happenings and will not give up until we secure the justice that is due us.

“The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for the APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a long-term political strategy and not a one-off decision. Thus, all these talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.

“One might ask: why is the APC itself mute about our rejection of this Muslim-Muslim ticket? And why has none of the other perpetrators of this crisis reached out to Christians for a dialogue? Why are they instead hiring fake Bishops and take Church groups to further embarrass the Church? Why are they embarking on a vicious media war against CAN and the Church instead of seeking reconciliation? Truly, things are not adding up.

“So why are Northern Nigerian Christians in particular against the Muslim-Muslim ticket? I will try to enumerate just a few more reasons in addition to the ones I have already enumerated above.

“We see this ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational, economic and political marginalisation of the Northern Nigerian Christians.

*“Federal Universities Vice Chancellors 28. Muslims 23, Christians 5.

*“State Universities Vice Chancellors 22. Muslims 17, Christians 5.

*“Federal Polytechnics Rectors 21. Muslims 18, Christians 3.

*“State Polytechnics Rectors 20. Muslims 16, Christians 4.

*”Federal Colleges of Education Provosts 23. Muslims 22 Christian 1.

*“State Colleges of Education Provosts 31. Muslims 24, Christians 7.

“Of course, it goes without saying that employment to all other positions from the Registrar down to the cleaner in these institutions will be replicated in a similar manner.

“This scenario is what we find in all agencies of Governments in the North. Therefore, we view this Muslim-Muslim ticket as an extension of this practice of exclusion to the uppermost level of Government.

“Christians all over the country see this Muslim-Muslim ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench Religion into the politics of this country. This, of course, will lead to further disharmony in the hitherto fragile coexistence of the Nigerian society, disrupt peace and hamper both social and economic development of the country.

“Christians, and indeed most enlightened Nigerians are at a loss as to why people that intend to govern a country with our kind of diversity would choose this path to power. This is very divisive and must be rejected by all patriotic Nigerians.

“Implied in this ticket is the insinuation that northern Muslims are not willing to vote for a ticket that has a Christian on it and on which they are not represented. It is our belief that Northern Muslims would have seen the Justice in a Muslim-Christian ticket and would have given it their overwhelming support had the party been inclined to do so.

“A corollary to this mindset is that Christians should also not vote for a ticket in which they are not accommodated. Unfortunately, this is the message we get loud and clear from this Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is truly a wake up call for all Nigerian Christians. We didn’t start this religious politics, APC and its candidates did; so all of us should take note and act as appropriate.

“So our dear APC colleagues, spare us these sanctimonious lectures on “competence” and the cliche “religion of the candidates do not matter.” The truth is that the 2023 Presidential election will be all about religion, and sadly, you started it; religion does matter in this context, so be ready for the consequences.

“It is important to reiterate that we, Nigerian Christians, want to live in peace and harmony with all practitioners of other Religions. We want to enjoy social and economic developments like other parts of the world, but without peace, justice and religious harmony, this is not possible.

“On our part, we neither seek to oppress nor dominate any one or any Religion. But we will also resist any one trying to discriminate against us and our Religion. We were not the ones that started this fight. The APC started it and must be ready to carry the cross it has created. Blaming Christians and heaping insults on CAN will take them nowhere.

“For, how do they expect Christians to keep silent when a Northern state Governor publicly states that they pressured Tinubu to get a Northern Muslim VP because they did not believe him to be a good Muslim? Is the VP going to be the National Deputy Imam? How do they expect us to keep silent when another Northern State Governor goes to Osun State and urges them to vote for someone just because he is a Muslim? Was he there for election campaign or “dawah”? What can be a better example of religion in politics than demonstrated by these governors?

“Clearly, there is an agenda to politically, religiously, and economically suppress and oppress the Northern Christian. But we are up to the task. We will protect ourselves. The PVC and our prayers will be our weapons of choice and we will massively deploy them in 2023.

“But while we are ready to battle this politics of exclusion and oppression, we are open to discussions with any one who wants to engage with us in good faith.

“As I always do, I want to end with this quotation from Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say in response to these things.

“If God is for us who can be against us?”

“May God bless and reward all our collective efforts at seeking to live in peace with one another in Nigeria, our blessed country.”

By Adesina Soyooye

Hundreds of protesters from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ebonyi State, on Friday, grounded activities at the National Headquarters of the Party in Abuja.

They went to protest what they saw as a brazen injustice against one of them, Princess Ann Agom-Eze. They allege that the State Governor, Dave Umahi, inexplicably, want to take away the Senatorial ticket, already won by Agom-Eze. They warned the National Chairman of the Party of the consequences of such a move and told him to intervene in the Ebonyi South Senatorial seat crisis, and do the right thing.

In the petition  to the APC National Working Committee (NWC), they  expressed disappointment over the what has now become the contentious Ebonyi South Senatorial zone ticket and warned

APC leadership of the danger inherent in taking  sides with Governor Umahi.

Their petition, which traced the genesis of the crisis reads in part:

“We the concerned members of APC Ebonyi South Senatorial zone hereby protest the attempt geared towards the emergence of Governor David Umahi as the Senatorial candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial Districts negating the electoral process that is the Electoral Act INEC guidelines and the internal APC constitution as a party.

“Agom-Eze is an old APC member who has laboured for the party. She bought her first party Senatorial nomination form in 2018, stood for primary, but did not win, ahead of the 2019 general elections. She has been very faithful, helpful to all matters as it concerns APC as a party.

“In 2022, Agom-Eze followed all the party’s guidelines in purchasing the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Ebonyi South Senatorial zone. She was screened and remained eligible for the Ebonyi South Senatorial primary election. She contested and came second to Austin Umahi Nweze, the placeholder (the immediate young brother to the governor).

“Upon withdrawing from the race, he was immediately rewarded with a federal government appointment as the Executive Secretary to Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and we are all aware that the Governor had asked him to withdraw from the Senatorial race to enable him to represent our zone since he did not win the APC presidential primary election.

We from Ebonyi South Senatorial zone cry for a more competent and quality representation and a woman participating actively in politics today. Chairman, in your magnanimity, you gave women free nominations to help bridge the gap in women representation at the National Assembly.

“You encouraged the women, notwithstanding the difficult terrain of our politics. Agom-Eze was able to navigate effectively in this period.

“Perhaps, should the situation in Ebonyi South Senatorial zone be allowed to stand, it will definitely cause a high level of disaffection within the party and the electorate within the Ebonyi South Senatorial Districts of the state.