Alienation of Christians From Positions and The Garb of Religion as a Tool in Nigerian Politics: AREWA CHRISTIANS POSITION.

1.
The Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association (ACIPA) have observed with sadness and regret what will culminate into our collective doom as a result of the working of some few who claim to be sages and the determinants of our collective destiny.

2.
We have decided that a few clueless, corrupt politicians and whose integrity is questionable can no longer claim to hold the solution to the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, education, health and underdevelopment while they are part of our problems and unresolved problems of yesterday.

3.
After critical observation of the intrigues of Nigerian politics and the interplay of religion with negative consequences on our democracy and security, these culminated in the use of religion as a tool. This we can no longer accept and neither shall we remain passive in the face of this distortion and danger.

4.
Only those with radical Islamist ideology or terrorists will insist on A Muslim-Muslim ticket for APC.
Those making reference to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Muslim-Muslim ticket of Alhaji 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.
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.

5.
The greatest fallacy is the assertion and claim of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of 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.

6.
The exclusion of a Christian in the choice of a running mate despite the highly qualified number of Christians in the North has not only alienated the Christians from the number two position in Nigeria but also consolidation and perpetuation of 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 its inception in 2015.

7.
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.

8.
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 prove we have an option: to resist the impostors or go our different paths rather than be willing slaves of religious dominance.

9.
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 Muslim-Muslim ticket. This we believe is a well-calculated and deliberate ploy proving the dominance and subjugation of people of other faith.

10.
We demand that the D.S.S.S, O.N.S.A, Police, D.M.I, and N.S.C.D.C to immediately set the machinery to arrest, charge and prosecute all Muslim clerics whose audio and video are on social media.
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.

11.
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 cooperate 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 is no longer acceptable in describing Christians and provoking actions against Christians.

12.
We wish to state in clear and categorical terms that, in accordance to 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 Faith denial or misrepresentation in accordance to the Faith of others is no longer acceptable to Christians.

13.
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?

14.
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 decision that resonates with their stance or favours 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.

15.
While our position above can not 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.

16.
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.

17.
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 is their exclusive preserve and that they hold monopoly over 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.

18.
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.

19.
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.

20.
The decision of APC has confirmed our fears of a hidden agenda. Henceforth we shall only consider the Candidates of People Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (L.P) as options to choose from in the Presidential race as we trust God in charting the paths toward 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.

God bless Nigeria.

Rev. Luke Shehu
ACIPA Chairman.

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