All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has debunked the allegation that the Christian clerics who attended the unveiling of his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, were fake and hired.
He described the viral videos and pictures of the clerics at the event as the handiwork of political detractors.
The party had presented Shettim, another Muslim from the North and a former Borno State governor, to the public and its various organs as the running mate to the party’s presidential standard-bearer at the unveiling ceremony at Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
In a statement through his campaign organization, Tinubu said the event was open to all, including clergymen.
Director, Media and Communication of the Tinubu Campaign Organization, TCO, Bayo Onanuga, in the statement accused the opposition of cashing in on the development to stir unnecessary attacks on APC.
He also described as “unwarranted distractions” the viral pictures and videos of some clergymen and women at the unveiling.
According to Onanuga, “the event was an open affair, which allowed members of the public to attend, including the clergymen and some others now being derided by hirelings of the opposition.”
He said: “We want to say that those clergymen were not fake, not mechanics or yam sellers as the purveyors of hatred have made Nigerians to believe in the social media. They are not big names in Christendom yet, they are gradually building up their missions.
“They are church leaders who genuinely believe that Nigerians must eschew politics of hatred and religious bigotry and rather embrace politics of peace and nation building.
“We therefore deplore the hysterical twisting of the presence of these men and women in cassocks and the false accusation against our candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Shettima.
“The orchestrated social media sensation over the presence of the men is needless and all calculated to detract from the huge success recorded at the momentous event on Wednesday.
“We believe Nigerians are too wise and discerning to see through this shenanigan. Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate and our great party are working very hard to provide purposeful leadership and good progressive governance that will improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
“We are well aware that the opposition parties and the sponsors of the social media charade are jittery and threatened by the intimidating political credentials of our candidates. The only way they hope to shift attention of public scrutiny away from their uninspiring candidates and credentials is to create social media distraction.
“Our campaign is determined on focusing on core governance issues that affect all Nigerians with a view to confronting them and make the desired improvements in the standard of living of our people.”
CAN Disowns Bishops At Shettima’s Unveiling
The Christian Association of Nigeria had on Wednesday dissociated itself from Bishops and pastors who attended the event, saying they were desperadoes who went there for themselves.
The organisation said that although the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was free to “hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them”, that effort would only add to their many ropes but would not change the need for fairness and justice.
The Vice President of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja) and its chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
He said, “The people we saw at the unveiling of Shettima paraded as Bishops are people who did not have enough time to learn how to wear Bishop garments. Take a closer look at their photo and you will see another Nollywood movie.
“CAN wonders why the desperation. First, a story was out claiming to have come from the Chairman of CAN Borno state only to be refuted. Secondly, there was another lie that BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and his running mate were on their way to meet CAN President one night. A meeting that was not true and was on a night that the CAN President was in Alabama USA attending the Baptist World Alliance Conference of which he is the Vice President.
“Another desperation story was that they met Papa Adeboye which the RCCG later refuted. If Christians are not important why the desperation?
“BAT is free to hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them. An effort that will only add to their many ropes when the political exercise is over but will not change the need for fairness and justice that CAN is calling for.
“CAN appreciate that we are in a democracy, no need to do funny and dubious things just to prove a point because it will in the end bounce back. BAT team should simply do what is right and stop the drama.”
Also, the association challenged the ruling party to mention CAN officials who attended the event.
Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the President of CAN, Samson Ayokunle, stated this while reacting to the reported presence of some bishops at Shettima’s unveiling ceremony at the Shehu Yar’adua Center in Abuja.
In a short reaction sent to journalists, Adebayo said, “Let them name the CAN officials at the programme and their offices. If they could use 2017 photos to claim that some Pastors visited Shettima and lied that Pastor E. A Adeboye has endorsed them; they could do anything.
He said, “Let them name the CAN officials at the programme and their offices. If they could use 2017 photos to claim that some Pastors visited Shettima and lied that Pastor E. A Adeboye has endorsed them, they could do anything.
“Our position on Muslim-Muslim ticket is irreversible. Anybody can claim anything but one thing is clear, CAN was not part of the unveiling programme of Shettima.”
Journalists assigned to cover Shettima’s official presentation as Tinubu’s running mate had watched in amusement as pastors and Bishops from different Christian denominations showed up at the venue.
Their presence seemed to cause a stir as onlookers and guests stared hard at them as they walked into the reception of the Musa Yar’Adua Centre dressed in their cassocks and habits, amid heavy security at the venue.
Earlier, the media had been awash with reports from religious bodies urging Christian leaders to boycott the unveiling to drive home the point of their grievances.
Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Christians Association of Nigeria’s President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, had a few weeks ago condemned the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He stated, “The Christian Association of Nigeria has stated it clearly that the situation in the country now is not suitable for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“It is up to Nigerians to accept or reject. Today’s Nigeria is not the same as when Nigerians voted Abiola-Kingibe ticket which was eventually annulled. Our prayers are with Nigeria and Nigerians,
In a related development, CAN General Secretary, Rev. Joseph Bade Daramola, in a statement, also considered the choise of Shettima “as a declaration of war.”
CAN President (Youth Wing), Belusochukwu Enwere, also confided in our correspondent on Tuesday night that no member will be there either to protest or show any form of solidarity for the party’s stance on the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Enwere said that the body was still consulting and had not taken a position.
He said, “Well, we are still meeting at our level in CAN. Consultations are still ongoing on what we need to do and the kind of candidate we want. For now, we are weighing all the presidential candidates irrespective of religion. For now, let us just say we are indecisive at the moment,” he said.
We Don’t Know Clerics At Shettima’s Unveiling – Arewa Pastors’ Group
Also, the Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association had on Wednesday described the presence of clerics and bishops at the event as a media stunt and desperation for monetary gains.
This is even as the association averred that none of the clerics in attendance at the event belongs to the North (Arewa), or is in registered Church as a Bishop in the hierarchy or order of Ecclesiastical or Apostolic ranking.
Journalists assigned to cover Shettima’s unveiling as Tinubu’s running mate had watched in amusement after the religious leaders showed up at the venue.
Their presence seemingly caused a stir as onlookers and guests stared hard at them as they walked into the reception of the Musa Yar’Adua Centre dressed in their cassocks and habits, amid heavy security at the venue.
Earlier, the media had been awash with reports from religious bodies urging Christian leaders to boycott the unveiling to drive home the point of their grievances.
Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Christians Association of Nigeria’s President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, had a few weeks ago condemned the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ACIPA Chairman, Rev. Luke Shehu, disclosed that he was convinced the presence of the pastors and bishops was a desperate move to make ends meet while appealing to politicians.
The statement read, “The attention of Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association have been drawn to the sacrilegious act of some who claim to be Christian Clerics in other to appease and launder desperate politicians.
“We recall that in the past, aspersions were cast when some hirelings visited Aso Rock as Northern (Arewa) Christian Clerics. For the sake of clarity and avoidance of doubt, ACIPA has found out that none of the so-called Bishops or Pastors at the unveiling of the Vice Presidential candidate is from the North has or belongs to a registered Church as a Bishop in the hierarchy or order of Ecclesiastical or Apostolic ranking.
“ACIPA regrets the unfortunate desperation of some to make ends meet while appealing to politicians and a media stunt. However, we wish to advise charlatans and hirelings to desist from denigrating the honourable office of the Clergy and bringing the titles to disrepute and dishonour.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to also state that the hirelings cannot restore the departed glory when the elect and Altar of the Most High, Jehovah have been insulted, disrespected and dishonoured.
“We have since taken over and declared that God shall reign again above any other throne and man in the affairs and leadership of Nigeria.”
