Ensure Christians emerge as National Assembly leaders, clerics tell lawmakers

The Christian Association of Clergies in Nigeria (CAC-NIG) has urged Christians, who have been elected into the National Assembly to ensure that the Senate and House of Representatives do not end up being headed by Moslems.

It expressed its reservation over a situation where Moslems would head the three arms of government, noting that such could spell doom for the nation’s democracy and principle of equity.

National President of CAC-NIG, Archbishop Yiman Orkwar, expressed the concern in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Pastor Ortindi Torough Baka, and made available to The Guardian in Makurdi yesterday.

His words: “If they allow it, it would set the most dangerous precedence in the polity, as all the heads of government will be headed by Moslems. Never in the history of Nigeria has all heads of government been from one religion.

“We urge our Christian faithful never to allow what seems to be a deliberate plan by Moslems to be actualised in the country in our generation. Posterity will never forgive them if they allow this plan to succeed.”

He accused the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) of supporting President Buhari in his lopsided appointments, describing claims by its deputy Secretary General, Professor Salisu Shehu, that Christians had lorded it over their Moslem counterparts in the past, as hypocritical.

“In 2007, when David Mark was Senate President and Patricia Etteh was Speaker of the House of Representatives, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Idris Legbo Kutigi was a Moslem. He took over from another Moslem, Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore.

“Between 1979 and December 1983, when Joseph Wayas was Senate President, and Ume Ezeoke who later handed over to Benjamin Chaha, as Speaker of the House, the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was also a Moslem.

“During the aborted third republic, senators Iorchia Ayu and later Ameh Ebute were Senate President and Hon. Anakwo was speaker of the House, who was military president, was it not General Ibrahim Babangida, a Moslem?” he asked.

CAC-NIG further cautioned the NSCIA to be mindful of making inciting statements capable of throwing the country into religious disharmony, saying, it would no longer allow any Moslem group to ridicule CAN and its leadership.