The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) North East chapter has called on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu to learn from the story of MKO Abiola who won election using Muslim-Muslim ticket but could not be sworn in as the president and commander-in-chief.
According to CAN, neither Christians, Muslims nor the political class made such a thing happen, adding that God does not want the country to be run in such a manner. A statement issued by the vice chairman, North East Zonal chapter of CAN, Rev Innocent Rubiruka Solomon, said that Tinubu should not start a quarrel he cannot handle adding that majority of the Christians in Nigeria are against Muslim-Muslim ticket, insisting that any politician that toe that line, should be ready to lose the Christian votes.
“Do not set up a quarrel and a fight you cannot handle. Do not be tempted to say you can do without the Christians in Northern Nigeria or undermine any religion or people at all to mean nothing in Nigeria’s political equation,” CAN informed Tinubu.
The Christian body in the North East said Tinubu should not be deceived to think he can win without the Christians in the North and therefore choose to go with a Muslim -Muslim ticket.
“Any party for that matter must avoid the pitfall of setting Nigeria’s religious communities into political blocks that may result in the greatest religious disharmony in the country. Any such decision is precarious. No political party should try, I passionately appeal, ” Solomon said in the statement.
Solomon urged Tinubu to ask those who tried it in the past, adding that those who did it either deliberately, consciously or ignorantly without knowing the consequences thereof on the Nigerian State and the future of the nation never live to tell the story.
“Ask them what happened after the election was won. Ask them if the mandate that was won became a reality. Ask them whether they ruled the nation with that kind of discriminatory and divisive arrangement that was concocted?
“Have we asked why the election was judged to be the most credible in the democratic history of Nigeria and yet its government was not to be? Have we ever cared to know the mystery behind the annulment? Could it just be that the former military leader General Ibrahim Babangida just on his own decided to do the impossible? Was it not something beyond his control, a mystery no mortal could explain?
“Nigeria as a result of that annulment passed through one of its most critical and difficult periods in history which eventually led to the death of one of Nigeria’s illustrious leaders, a remarkable personality who died in custody in an attempt to recover the mandate.
“Our political leaders must learn from our mistakes of the past or we will further the nation away from peace, stability and progress. God forbid, ” Solomon said.
“It was neither the Christians nor the Muslims. Not even the political leaders knew what was going on then. It was God Himself who annulled that election to show His displeasure concerning the heart of man against His will in Nigeria.
“The Prophecy God gave me on 1st August, 1994 to deliver to His Excellency late Chief M.K.O Abiola at his Ikeja residence when he began the struggle to recover his mandate is still with me till date,” he added.
