Religious Leaders, Groups Back Obi-Datti Presidential Ticket

BY EDMOND ODOK – In an unprecedented show of support and love ahead of the 2023 general elections, a group of Nigerian clerics across ethnic divides have thrown their weight behind the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

Massing under the aegis of Inter-Faith Alliance, the bishops, primates and Imams on Saturday pledged their allegiance to the Labour Party presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed describing it as presenting a balanced ticket for Nigerians.

In the team of religious leaders, who stormed the Labout Party’s secretariat were the General Overseer of World Harvest Ministry, Archbishop Leonard Kawaz, and an Imam from Gwarinpa Central Mosque, Sheikh Murtala Muhammed.

Speaking with newsmen, Kawaz, who presides over the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria as the prelate, said they were at the Party secretariat to register their displeasure over plans of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to divide the country along ethnic-religious lines.

He said against the backdrop of unhealthy comments and developments within the APC and PDP camps, the Inter-Faith Alliance took the decision to encourage their members who are over 5,000 in number, to fully support Obi and his running mate, Datti Yusuf.

The Leader of the Inter-Faith Alliance disclosed that many of the members came from Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger and Abuja to attend the event, adding; “I stand here today to reject the Muslim-Muslim ticket just like I would have rejected a Christian-Christian ticket.

“It is not also okay to tell me and my team that while we rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket, we should now turn around and vote for a politician of the same tribe as the outgoing president in this multi-lingual, tribal and racial nation.

“We know what is lacking in Nigeria is knowledge and understanding that a Muslim does not necessarily need to become a Christian for us to live in peace, neither does a Christian need to become a Muslim to live in peace.”

According to him; “What we need is an understanding of the two faiths. There are faiths aside from Islam and Christianity that we have also been interacting with. We need everybody. Having examined all the candidates of political parties, we have come to the conclusion that the Labour Party has done the right thing for Nigeria by fielding His Excellency Peter Obi and Datti Yusuf. These are distinguished gentlemen who have proven themselves in leadership and management of resources in their previous endeavours.”

Kawaz, who has resided in Abuja, the nation’s capital for about 24 years, said Nigeria was currently at crossroads where the critical presidential election that will take place in a few months will either make or mar the country.

Also sharing his thought on the 2023 presidential polls, Sheikh Murtala Muhammed said Nigerians should not consider the obnoxious Muslim-Muslim ticket as an option, adding; “We have also made up our mind not to support any party with a Muslim-Muslim ticket because it was borne out of the selfish interest of one person.

“We support the motion for harmony and peaceful co-existence with our Christian brothers. That is why we are also willing to go all the way to vote party with a balanced ticket. May God continue to help Nigeria and his people.”

While appreciating the delegation of clerics, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, begged them to continue praying for the movement and safety of their supporters across the country.

Abure, while lamenting that a significant number of LP’s followers and well-wishers in different parts of the country have come under attack in recent times, said; “Since I became the National Chairman of the LP, today is my best day. I said so because the prayers from clerics of these two faiths are coming in the nick of time.

“The party and its followers are seriously under attack. Just yesterday, we are telling ourselves to go public by appealing to Nigerians and religious leaders to pray for us. Three days ago, the presidential candidate and his running mate were in Kaduna to attend a function. Our followers who came from Zaria were involved in an accident and died. Others are hospitalised as we speak.

“Since we started this movement, people thought it was a joke. Now they know. Today, they discuss no other things than LP in their closets. We are also receiving intelligence that they are going to fight us in some states where there are grand plans to attack our members.”

Further highlighting the challenges being faced by the Labour Party, the National Chairman said; “As I speak to you, they have invaded the homes of some members in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu and several other states.

“We know for sure that the time of the people has come. Our presidential candidate has been forced to shift his campaign because of the flood that has ravaged several communities across the country. That’s why I said the coming of the clerics here today is a divine one.”