2023: Only Those With Terrorists’ Ideology Insist On Muslim-Muslim Presidential Ticket – ACIPA Says

The Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association (ACIPA) has declared that only those with radical Islamist ideology or terrorists will insist on a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was as it described the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC for the 2023 General Elections as a clear sign that will culminate into a collective doom for Nigeria.

The ACIPA stressed that the decision of the APC has confirmed its fears of a hidden agenda, saying that henceforth its members shall only consider the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (L.P) as options to choose from in the Presidential race as it trusts God in charting the paths towards a more suitable political party and a candidate with the credentials and abilities to restore and develop Nigeria without fear of alienation, dominance, sentiments, and bigotry.

ACIPA also stressed that those making reference to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Muslim-Muslim ticket of Moshood K. Abiola and Babagana Kingibe in 2003 are either not true students of Nigerian politics or simply do not wish well for the sustainability of this fragile Democratic experiment.

It further said that the resolve of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by Bola Tinubu is as a result of the working of some few who claim to be sages and the determinants of our collective destiny.

These were contained in a statement signed by Rev. Luke Shehu, chairman of ACIPA, which also declared that Christians have decided that a few clueless and corrupt politicians can no longer claim to hold the solution to the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, education, health and underdevelopment while they are part of the problems and unresolved problems of yesterday.

The statement further said that after a critical observation of the intrigues of Nigerian politics and the interplay of religion as a tool with negative consequences on the nation’s democracy, security, and the culmination of the use of religion as a tool, they can no longer remain passive in the face of danger.

According to ACIPA; “In any case, those in doubt of the failure or consequences of a Muslim-Muslim ticket need no prophets to discern the clear experiences of 1993 failure of the Abiola-Kingibe Muslim-Muslim ticket and the worsening security situation in Kaduna State today which is largely attributed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“The greatest fallacy is the assertion and claim of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu associating his decision to pick Senator Kashim Shetimma a fellow Muslim to “the spirit of 1993”.

“This decision of Tinubu and APC is a direct insult and disrespect to the sacrifices and sensibilities of Christians beyond the North. Tinubu, the APC, and those who share in their sentiments against the neglect and disrespect of Christians in the North should bury their heads in shame and safe sensible Nigerians from the semantics and rhetorics meant for those unschooled in the craft and deceit of the undemocratic impostors.

“The exclusion of a Christian in the choice of a running mate despite the highly qualified Christians in the North by the All peoples Congress (APC) has not only alienated the Christians from the number two position in Nigeria but also consolidated and perpetuated the Buhari-APC intolerance of Christians.

“This confirms the plan to continue the legacy of the highly concentrated Muslim appointments to the key positions by the APC government since inception in 2015.

“Northern Christians and indeed Nigerians as a whole have never been unsafe as when Kaduna is under a Muslim-Muslim ticket and the north is being dominated by APC Governors and an APC President.

“We are not unaware of the radical Islamists’ likely infiltration of other popular political parties. Therefore, caution is required and necessary as we traverse the path to redefining and reclaiming our destiny.

“If the APC and Islamists persist in imposing a Muslim-Muslim on Nigerian Christians as an Islamic agenda, then we, along with other true democrats and allies will proof we have an option: to resist the impostors or go our different paths rather than be willing slaves of religious dominance,” it stressed.

The ACIPA said that after wide consultations, Arewa Christians and other patriots have observed the correlation of the hate, provocative, and inciting messages by a growing number of Muslim clerics with APC’s imposition of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying that it believes, it is a well-calculated and a deliberate ploy proving the dominance and subjugation of people of other faith.

It, therefore, demanded that the DSS, Office of the National Security Adviser, Police, DMI, and NSCDC immediately set the machinery to arrest, charge and prosecute all Muslim clerics whose audio and video are on social media.

It further said; “We use this medium to put on notice the security organizations concerned that the actions of such publicly known and unknown religious clerics have been directly and remotely related to the recent heightened intolerance, disturbing religious attacks as well as motivation and confidence for the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“Where our concerns are not looked into immediately, then this shall confirm our fears for the reasons behind Muslims’ appointment to head security organizations. “Failure to arrest the perpetrators of these hateful, insulting, and inciting religious teaching will prove where the loyalty of our security operatives is; whether to their religion or to our corporate existence as a nation.

“Not taking urgent steps will spell doom for Nigeria. This is obvious in view of the fact that radical Islamic teachings calling Christians arna or kafirai are no longer accepted in describing Christians and provoking actions against Christians.

“We wish to state in clear and categorical terms that, in accordance with our Faith, Jesus Christ is the son of God. We believe in the birth of Jesus Christ through the Virgin Mary and His death as well as His resurrection on the third day.

“Any form of our Faiths’ denial or misrepresentation in accordance to the Faith of others is no longer acceptable to Christians.

“It is unfortunate that under the watch of his Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, leader of the Muslim Ummah and who doubles as co-chair of the council of interreligious affairs and interfaith, chooses to be silent despite his knowledge of the derogatory, insulting inciting, and provocative words used by Islamic Clerics against Christians.

“This has become common in places of worship as well as in private and in public. Should the reverse have been the case, will Muslims have tolerated such from Christians?

“To collaborate the conspiracy of the political class and the religious, today, Islamic Clerics are publicly calling the shots or commending the decisions of Muslims or political parties’ decisions that resonate with their stance or favors Islam while denigrating Christians. While this is true and the security operatives choose to look on the other side, this is unacceptable as it is an aberration.

“While our position above cannot be contradicted,  this can no longer be acceptable. The truth is that we have a choice beyond “their” party and candidate as we are not an enslaved colony or a people under subjugation in a democracy.

“However, let those without honor, those who beg to eat from the crumbs or chose to bow to a Pharaoh continue in their horse-trading.

“Therefore, in view of the foregoing, we call on all those who cherish unity, freedom, peace, security, and democracy to unite against those few who believe that leadership and power are their exclusive preserve and that they hold the monopoly over the solution to our problems.

“In truth, those old politicians have since lost touch with the reality of governance but resort to their illegitimate riches with the collaboration of religious leaders to whip sentiments in other to hold on to power.

“It is therefore time to revolt against the APC Islamic agenda or any political party or politician covered with the garb of religion or political manipulation rhetorics in deceit to hold on to power.

“Therefore, ACIPA shall work with others and network with allies across both Faiths to promote, inclusiveness, unity, Fair playing ground, and democracy in resistance to the imposition of Islamic dominance,” ACIPA stated.