Religious leaders in the large number of over 5000 under the umbrella of Inter-Faith Alliance have thrown their weight behind Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while condemning the Muslim-Muslim tickets of the ruling APC which produces Tinubu and Shettima.
Ibomdailymail reports that the 5000 religious leaders including Imams, Pastors, Bishops and Archbishops said the All progressives Congress (APC) ticket which produced Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, and Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, without consideration to the religious plurality of the country was injustice.
The religious leaders who stormed the Labour Party secretariat on Saturday to endorse the former governor of Anambra State, included the General Overseer of World Harvest Ministry, Archbishop Leonard Kawaz, and an Imam from Gwarinpa Central Mosque, Sheikh Murtala Muhammed.
Kawaz said the decision to encourage their over 5,000 religious leaders, many of whom came from Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger and Abuja to attend the event, to throw their weight behind Obi and his running mate, Datti Yusuf was based on balanced ticket.
Kawaz said, “I stand here today to reject the Muslim-Muslim ticket just like I would have rejected a Christian-Christian ticket. It is not also okay to tell me and my team that while we rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket, we should now turn around and vote for a politician of the same tribe as the outgoing president in this multi-lingual, tribal and racial nation.
“We know what is lacking in Nigeria is knowledge and understanding that a Muslim does not necessarily need to become a Christian for us to live in peace, neither does a Christian need to become a Muslim to live in peace.
“What we need is an understanding of the two faiths. There are faiths aside from Islam and Christianity that we have also been interacting with. We need everybody.”
“Having examined all the candidates of political parties, we have come to the conclusion that the Labour Party has done the right thing for Nigeria by fielding His Excellency Peter Obi and Datti Yusuf.
Peter Obi and Datti Yusuf, are distinguished gentlemen who have proven themselves in leadership and management of resources in their previous endeavours.” Punch reported.
About The Author
