Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
A day after a group known as Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa Christian Support Group for the All Progressive Congress (APC), announced the endorsement of the party’s Muslim/Muslim presidential candidature, another group within the same constituency known as Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa APC Political Movement for All Christians has faulted the claim, describing it as a sham, a shame, false and fabricated in many ways.
Addressing a crowd at the Youth Center in Tafawa Balewa at the weekend, the Chairman of the group, Mallam Yakubu Garba said reports making the rounds that Christians in former House of Representatives Speaker, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara group were supporting same faith ticket was to mislead members of the public.
The text which was jointly signed by the Chairman of the group, Mallam Yakubu Garba and the Secretary, Dinnigwa Luka aka Zebro indicated that the group, Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa APC Political Movement for All Christians which consists of Women, Elders and Youth groups as members.
“We read this drama with great dismay because the publication was false and fabricated in many ways,” the statement added.
Garba noted that the group which endorsed the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the APC was a gathering of few individuals that included Muslims and Christians who were paid to carry out such despicable act against the APC Christians of Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency.
The group added that the act was, “against the kinsmen of Rt. Hon. Dr. Yakubu Dogara who is, and still remains our political leader come rain come shine.
“How can a political gathering of both Christians and Muslims make a statement about the position of Christians in our constituency?
“Which among the key Christian APC bigwigs in our constituency was there? This is enough to show that such a gathering and statement is inconsequential and should be regarded as such.
“In view of that, we are gathered here in our thousands to tell the whole world that none of the Rt. Hon. Dr Yakubu Dogara’s kinsmen is against him politically to oppose or betray his political ideologies,” Garba declared.
He further pointed out that the National body of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) which is the supreme decision-making body for all Christians had taken a clear stance against the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the forthcoming presidential election, saying that the position of CAN was binding on all well-meaning Christians.
“So, we don’t know these individuals claiming to be Christians yet misrepresenting, undermining and sabotaging the decision of CAN, the supreme Christian Body. This is akin to Korah’s rebellion in the Bible (Numbers 16),” the group said.
He said Dogara’s decision to support Atiku Abubakar of the PDP in the 2023 general elections justified that he was not a religious bigot, but a representative of peace, justice and inclusiveness which is in line with the teachings of Christian religion.
“Therefore, we the 95 per cent Christians of his constituency are solidly behind him and behind CAN, and will never to support a same-faith ticket in the forthcoming presidential election”, the group further maintained,” it added.
