http://www.newsportng.com.ng Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Kaduna State Chapter, has condemned the choice of same faith as running mate by political parties, and their candidates in the forth coming general elections.
The CAN chairman, Kaduna State, Rev. Dr. John Joseph Hayab, made this known in a press statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna, said the move is a gross violation of the Nigerian 1999 Federal character constitutional principle.
It could be recalled that the flag bearer of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani announced the incubent Deputy Governor of the State, Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe, as his running mate on July 4thz 2022.
In the same development, the National chieftain of the All Progressive Congress and presidential candidate, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, announced former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate on Sunday, 10th July, 2022.
Reacting to the development, Hayab noted that, the Nigerian Federal Character Framework was authoritatively captured in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution with the description that: “The government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”
He added that, “the essence of the Constitutional provision above is to ensure the principle that all public service institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, religious, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the country.
“The Federal character principle that we talked of above, was the product of Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s Administration, who after the Civil War believed that a particular group occupied major ministries in the nation. But clearly we all know, many have just course to argue that leadership in Nigeria in the most recent past is with high ethnic nepotism, well one can rightly say this is another phase of it in religious shade.
“Today there are a lot of concerns from Nigerians over a particular party’s consideration of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, last week we stated our position in clear terms to establish that the ill decision of a particular political party is not for us a thing of concern, though the electorates have no reason to raise eyebrows over wrong decision by any political party.
“But that we have no reason to be worried about it does not also suggest that such a decision is not condemnable.
“The implication of such a decision is that such a candidate has no respect for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, it also suggests that the candidate is just a candidate that priorities selfishness, greed and personal unhealthy interest over the good of the nation. He said
“As leaders we will want every political party to know that we will educate, sensitize, and mobilize our ever faithful followers to vote against anything that we judge as a danger against the unity, peace, progress and development of Nigeria. We will reiterate that the political party has her right of will to make decisions that she judge best for her, but they should know to option to the electorate among many other options. o that their decisions only end as an Thankfully 2023 is never going to be business as usual.” He added.
