The Northern Christian Leaders in the All-Progressives Congress (APC), have dissociated themselves from a statement by Babachir Lawal, endorsing the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. Lawal had in a statement in a statement issued on Thursday announced on behalf of the Christian leaders, declared support for Obi, maintaining that the APC’s same faith Presidential ticket,” is intended to shame Christians and bestow on them and their religion a second-class socio-political status in their own country.”
Babachir said, “The Obi/Datti presidential ticket give us breath of fresh air and the greatest opportunity to redeem our country from the quagmire into which we have been plunged by a recurring group of self-centred reactionaries”.
However, in a statement jointly signed by Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Simon Achuba, Hon. Albert Atiwurcha, Prof. Doknan Sheni, Mela Nunge (SAN), Gen. Ishaya Bauka (Retd), Prof Ibrahim Haruna and Mrs Leah Olusiyi, the group said necessary consultations had been concluded, but a position had not been taken.
The statement added that based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group was poised to adopt a position which would be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
According to the statement, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the Babachir, chairman of the group, were solely the decision and his views he was absolutely entitled to but not that of the group.
“We want to draw the attention of the public to the recent position canvassed by our Chairman, Engr B D Lawal as the position of our Group.
The group said, “We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position which will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
“Suffices to say that no one in the group including the Chairman has been mandated to speak to the public about our position at this material time.
“Based on our modus Operandi, our position was meant to be presented to the public at the event above referred to. That has not changed.
“Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are solely the decision and views of the Chairman which he is absolutely entitled to but not that of the group.
“We hope this statement clears all the quarries most of us have been inundated with on this all-important subject matter.
“We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position which will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
“Suffices to say that no one in the group including the Chairman has been mandated to speak to the public about our position at this material time.
“Based on our modus Operandi, our position was meant to be presented to the public at the event above referred to. That has not changed.
“Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are solely the decision and views of the Chairman which he is absolutely entitled to but not that of the group.
“We hope this statement clears all the quarries most of us have been inundated with on this all-important subject matter”.
