* Our position is on the same ticket of faith, said the CAN President
As the 2023 general elections approach, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA), His Eminence, Muhammed Abubakar III, and the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, have called on Nigerians to shun sentiments ethnoreligious and elect a credible candidate who will revive the economy and ensure fairness and justice in the country.
The two religious leaders who are also Co-Chairmen of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), made the call at the 5th Annual Peace Conference and General Assembly of the IDFP with the theme, “Religious and Ethnicity: Safeguarding the 2023 General Elections”, yesterday in Abuja.
In his remarks, the CAN President noted that beyond individual considerations, and religion, Nigerians should ensure that they vote according to their conscience in an honest and prayerful manner, knowing that only God can give them a credible national leader.
He said, “We must vote honestly; we must choose prayerfully without allowing our religion or ethnic sentiments to control us. We must understand that God is greater than all these realities. Only then will we have a leader who will guide us because the poverty in our country today is not religious, the suffering we are experiencing, the kidnappings and the insecurity are all not religious.
The CAN President called on Nigerians to refrain from actions that could destroy the system because no progress can be made in an atmosphere of anarchy.
On CAN’s zero tolerance for the same faith presidential ticket, Okoh who was represented by the former President, Christian Council of Nigeria, (CCN), Reverend Dr Benebo Fubara-Manuel, explained that “CAN’s zero tolerance for the same faith ticket is the position taken before the party – the party applied for a candidate.
“Now that the candidates have been nominated, if we assert this position, it will increase the tension.
“Choose the person whom God has placed in your heart as the leader of the country. When CAN says ‘no’ to the ticket of the same faith, it does not say no to our conscience.
Speaking on the importance of unity ahead of the election, Sultan Abubakar III said: “We have a lot in common in Nigeria which will benefit us as a people if we stick together instead of playing religious and ethnic negativity to divide our country.
“I want to see a situation where every Nigerian considers himself a Nigerian before counting religion or ethnicity. I don’t know about the negative role that religion and ethnicity can play in the country, but we must galvanize and use the positive role that they also play to push for unity national.
Represented by the Director of Administration, NSCIA, Zubairu Usman, Sultan said his message to Nigerians is that “everyone should seek PVC, act peacefully, go to the polling units, vote wisely and according to conscience. Do not be swayed by other primordial sentiments, but according to conscience.
Earlier, the co-Chairman of the IDFP, Bishop Dr Sunday Onuoha, said that “as Nigerians go to the polls in a few weeks, we stand on the brink of another milestone in our nation building efforts.
“Therefore, it is important that we continue to spread the goals and ideals of non-violent elections by encouraging religious tolerance and social and political principles.”
On his part, the outgoing co-Chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Sanni, opened the IDFP financial account to include savings worth over N43 million both from savings in Dollars and Euro accounts.