The National leadership of Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), has urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to focus on looking for ways to address the nation’s challenges and desist from sticking its nose into politics.
In a press statement on Thursday, the National Leader of the JIBWIS, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, said the decision as to who should succeed President Buhari should be the duty of registered political parties.
Bala Lau warned that CAN should not stand down its responsibility of preaching peace and national stability for politics.
“The attention of JIBWIS Nigeria has been drawn to the widely circulated news of Christian Association of Nigeria insisting on a Christian successor for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
“This is as ill-timed as it is dangerous. The position of CAN as widely reported by Nigerian newspapers has elicited reactions that seem to have further overheated the polity. Jibwis Nigeria notes that this, a wrong move, is what you get when religious leadership indulges in decidedly-partisan campaigns.” The statement partly read.
He said JIBWIS carefully reviews the implication of CAN’s campaign for a shift of Presidential power to a Christian in 2023 with deep concern, adding that “To begin with, the campaign in favour of a Christian successor for President Buhari does not make sense, if we reflect on the historical reality of where and how power has resided in recent years.”
Sheikh Bala Lau recalled that from 1999, Nigeria has more Christian Presidents than Muslims’ but unlike CAN, JIBWIS is not mounting undue pressure on any political party or group by insisting on a Muslim candidate, adding that, “all we ask for is that political parties must insist on a competent, capable and upright Nigerian to be fielded.”
“CAN should not court the trouble of the nation’s political party leadership, who have the mandate to screen and nominate candidates and wait for the final verdict of the voters.”
“Most importantly, CAN should be viewed as a respected religious association and not a political party with a mandate to determine what qualifies one to be a Buhari successor.
“On the whole, JIBWIS Nigeria advises CAN to try to shed the partisan garb and concentrate on healing our country from bad eggs in politics by constant prayers and proper sensitization.
Recall that CAN President Rev. Samson Ayokunle has recently said that CAN will mobilise Christians in the country to produce the successor of President Buhari in 2023, a comment that continues to generate mixed reactions from Nigerians.
