Some Christian leaders under the aegis of Clerics Congress of Nigeria have endorsed the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Abuja Monday.
The endorsements of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket by the Christian Leaders took place at a Stakeholders Conference held at Nicon Luxury Hotel attended by representatives of both the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of APC.
The Clerics led by Arc Bishop Ali John Ali and Bishop Timothy Cheren, premised their endorsements of Tinubu/Shettima ticket on competence, capacity and required vision for progressive leadership and Nation building.
In a speech read on behalf of the clerics whom they claimed are 500 across the country, Bishop Cheren said the Tinubu/ Shettima ticket is the best choice for Nigeria and Nigerians as far as required solutions to myriad of problems confronting the Nation are concerned.
The speech reads in part : “After a cursory look at all the presidential aspirants, and without any dint of sentiment attached, we have found one candidate suitable to deliver the required result needed to take our nation out of our present predicament and usher in the required development needed to take us to the next level.
“That candidate without any shadow of a doubt is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Our decision has been predicated on the indices of track record of past performance, ability to unite the country and fight insecurity, economic programme of development and the ability to build a sterling leadership succession.
“In all of these, Asiwaju towers high above the pack of other presidential candidates .
Looking at his track record in Lagos where he held sway as governor for eight years, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu succeeded immensely in turning Lagos into a mega city and an economic giant not just in Nigeria but Africa and the rest of the world.
“On the issues of Muslim and Muslim ticket which has engendered so much debate, we have carefully considered the issues that gave birth to the decision to select a Muslim as his Vice and came to the conclusion that the reasons were more about the strategy to win elections and have somebody he can be comfortable to work with, than of religious discrimination.
“Looking closely at the life of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, you can see he has a Christian wife, children that are of Christian faith. Most of his political friends and associates are Christians. This is definitely not the man that will Islamize the country.
“We therefore urge those playing the card of religion discriminalization to sheath their swards in the spirit of national harmony and integration.
“We therefore urge all Nigerians to come out enmass to vote in the coming presidential election for the man that has shown the capacity to develop Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu , come February 25th 2023”
In their separate speeches of acceptance, representatives of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Senator Grace Bent and that of Senator Kashim Shettima, Senator Smart Adeyemi, commended the clerics for rising above religious sentiments in making their choice
Senator Adeyemi in particular said Tinubu is a liberal minded Muslim who will not in anyway , make any policy or take decision that would be injurious to Christians in the country.
Nigeria he pointed out is at a crossroads requiring a leader that is highly visionary and full of ideas.
“Both Asiwaju Tinubu and Senator Shettima are men of honour who are needed at the helms of affairs at the highest level in Nigeria today ” , he stressed .
