The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reiterated its position on the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintaining that its opposition to the ticket remains the way it is.
It also disclosed that contrary to speculations, it had not reached any sort of agreement with the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Africa Today News, New York reports that there was a story that had gone viral on Monday that Tinubu met with the leadership of CAN over the controversy that arose from the party’s choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu selected a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima as his running mate, a move which angered the Christian population in the country.
While debunking the report of the agreement between Tinubu and CAN, the Christian body in a statement on Monday maintained that it had not changed its stance on the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket.
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The statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the leadership of the association, Luminous Jannamike, was titled, ‘Muslim-Muslim Ticket: CAN maintain its position.’
The association also warned that Tinubu’s presence and donation at last week’s 70th birthday of Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, should not be seen as a financial inducement bribe to pacify the Christian community.
The statement partly read, ‘The attention of the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to a media report titled, ‘How Tinubu met, resolved Muslim-Muslim ticket with CAN’, which claimed that the apex Christian body had changed its position regarding the same faith ticket.
‘To say the least, the story is ridiculous, malicious, untrue and should be disregarded in its entirety by all reasonable members of the society.
‘For the records, CAN took a position against the same faith ticket imbroglio under the leadership of Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle, its immediate past national president and as a matter of fact, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh, stands on that same position.’
The Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance, Adebayo Shittu, had praised his principal for honouring Kukah at his 70th birthday celebration.
Shittu stated that Tinubu’s presence and brilliant delivery at the occasion had inevitably shamed and silenced the critics of his Muslim-Muslim ticket.