The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), yesterday, warned against the foisting of Muslim/Muslim ticket on the nation by any of the political parties eyeing the presidential seat in 2023, insisting that any political arrangement short of producing a Christian president for Nigeria would be unacceptable to the Christian populace.
The PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, who is also the president of The Sword of the Spirit Ministries, gave the warning at the grand finale of a 5-day Zoe World Congress tagged: ‘Zoe Worship Extravaganza’ held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
This is as a group, Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has described as insensitive and selfish, thoughts of fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket for presidency in the 2023 general election.
The group warned that such moves would be massively resisted.
Speaking at the event organised by his ministry, Oke described as evil and selfish, those behind the agenda of having a Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket at the coming polls.
Though he said the PFN was not routing for any party, the cleric, however, maintained that any of the parties that does not factor in the interest of the Christian community in the country, would fail.
He said: “It is disturbing that with the 2023 general election fast approaching, some politicians who are hell-bent in further scuttling the fragile peace in the country are desperately seeking to foist a Muslim/Muslim political agenda on us, a development that will further throw unsavoury spanner into the works, fibre and the tenuous peace of the nation.
“Nigeria is a nation predominantly populated by Christians and Muslims. In fact, the PFN, which by the grace of God I head today, has membership strength of over 65million adherents of Jesus Christ. So, we vehemently say no to Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket; we say no to arrangement that will relegate the Christians to obscurity. This we shall resist by all available lawful means.
“We urge that we follow the routes already taken by the previous administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, so as to avoid the pitiable paths some are trying to tread for selfish reasons and aggrandisement.
“Anyone who is flying a Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket is satanic and from the pit of hell. The Lord, God of hosts, will crush that satanic agenda. Any party that flies a Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket has failed completely. In fact, it will not only fail, it will scatter.”
He prayed that those behind the plot would not succeed, adding; “It is only the will of God for Nigeria that shall prevail, not the satanic agenda of any corrupt, selfish, self-centred unpatriotic, evil politician who thinks he has enough money to buy up the South-West of Nigeria, and the whole of the nation.”
Besides, he said: “Nigeria belongs to all of us and it will only thrive when there’s fairness, equity and justice. This we are calling for in all our engagements in the country.
“If the two major political parties in the country field Muslim/Muslim candidates, they will both fail. What we want is a Christian president. Buhari must hand over to a Christian. Let everybody know that any arrangement short of that will be totally unacceptable to us. The 65millions strong members of PFN are vehemently opposed to any arrangement of that nature.”
He, however, prayed for peace in the country, imploring those itching to destroy it through their selfish pursuits and primordial sentiments, to have a rethink.
Similarly, a group, Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has described as insensitive and selfish, thoughts of fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket for presidency in the 2023 general election.
The group warned that such moves will be massively resisted.
This came as the Kaduna Integrity Group and five others, perfected arrangements in Kaduna to woo Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of the APC into the Presidential race in 2023, insisting that he was the perfect, potential president that would unite Nigeria.
NOSCEF, in a statement, signed by its Chairman, Engineer Ejoga Oyinehi Inalegwu, made available to newsmen in Kaduna, yesterday, said “the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) read with concerns the reported meeting of a frontline politician with some Northern elders, advocating a Muslim/Muslim ticket, if given the presidential ticket and many days after, the report has not been refuted.
“We wonder which Northern elders were in the said meeting. Let us recall the Abiola-Kingibe Muslim-Muslim ticket that won the election in a military imposed two-party system in 1993. Majority of Nigerians, including myself voted for that ticket because, a vote for that ticket was a vote for fairness, equity, justice and power rotation between North and South, South-East and North-East,” they said.
They submitted that at the previous election, Alhaji Shehu Shagari (North-West)/Dr. Ekwueme (South-East) ruled Nigeria and Abiola/Kingibe, therefore, meant power shifting between North and South and in the North, power shifting from North-West to North-East and in the South, from South-West to South-East.
“Remember there were no other alternatives since it was a two party system.
“Therefore, the same injustice, inequity, marginalisation that Nigerians fought against to vote a Muslim–Muslim ticket cannot now be promoted by voting same Muslim-Muslim or Christian- Christian ticket,” it said.
They explained that Nigerians in 1993, bent over backward to vote and affirm with one voice, that the ill of religious and regional differences were more tolerable than injustice, inequity and marginalisation.
“Northerners across religious lines voted for Abiola from the South, and expected thereafter that it would only be fair, for power to shift back to North-East or North-Central.
“The voting pattern re-echoed Fayemi’s saying that ‘unity cannot endure where injustice, marginalisation and inequity thrives’. It was a vote against injustice and marginalization,” they recalled.
NOSCEF said that it was deeply concerned about this kite being flown again.
“When we remember the speculated rift between Senator Bukola Saraki and the clique that had pressed in 2015 for a Buhari/Tinubu Muslim-Muslim ticket, which Saraki and many like-minded patriots had considered insensitive in the Nigerian state.
“Linking it with the North-West, would remind observing Nigerians, who have seen how a similar insensitivity has deepened the divide and mistrust in the North-West state,” they pointed out.
The group said that they had identified with the president in his call for unity, and therefore, condemn in strong terms, any move that will further aggravate the lines of divide for selfish political gains at the expense of a peaceful and united Nigeria.
“We appeal to all Nigerians across party, regional, ethnic and religious divides to rise up and mobilise the citizenship against any inconsiderate politician or political grouping, seeking to promote exclusion and marginalisation of any section of our country.
“Those that do not wish Nigeria well have no business seeking its leadership,” they warned.
They added that such politicians will make every attempt to manipulate Nigerians as a people, through double talks and deceit but, “we trust that God who put us together for a great nation, will defeat them in all their antics/craftiness and bring to pass the expectations of true and patriotic Nigerians seeking a truly united and prosperous Nigeria.”
They, therefore, tasked Nigerians to pray that anyone who plans to rise to power in Nigeria, by fuelling the embers of discrimination, using the instrumentation of religious ethnic differences will fail, because God is greater and wiser than any manipulation of man.
“NOSCEF being mindful of the various crisis that has bedevilled our nation to date calls on all Nigerians to be vigilante and prepared to defeat the enemies to our peaceful co-existence without regard to party affiliation and persuasion.
“Remember that loyalty to the nation Nigeria, ranks far above loyalty to any party.
“The nation is in dire need of a selfless, considerate, sensitive, honest, transparent leader who will unite, bind, and heal the wounds that have posed a great danger to our corporate existence as a nation, integrate and foster lasting bonds of unity of our dear country.
“We need politicians across party lines and all peace loving Nigerians across religious, regional and ethnic divides to reject politicians sowing seeds of further polarization and work for/align with inclusiveness, unity, equity, fairness, justice.
“This might even entail going against regional and party affiliations to drive home the point that power is giving in trust for the good of the people not for self-centred ambition.
“Anyone that is seeking the highest political office of the land at the expense of the peace the nation and building of tolerance amongst the diversity of our country cannot lay claim to being a patriot and would, therefore, have no business being encouraged or voted to such a position.
“NOSCEF enjoins Nigerians to continue to pray for our country,” it concluded.