The Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Apostle (Dr) Dàvid Ahmed Otaru, has described as “a great insult” to the entire Christians in Nigeria, the persistent use of competence as an excuse for choosing a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the position of presidential and vice presidential candidates by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 election.
Speaking during an interview in Sagamu, Otaru urged the party and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party to stop insulting the entire body of Christ in the North.
“You need to consider the secular nature of Nigeria and the fact that religion and ethnicity are the two major issues that easily divide Nigerians,” he said.
Apostle Otaru, born as a Muslim in Sokoto, is a Northerner from Kogi State, before becoming a Christian, and later the Founder/General Overseer of Signs & Wonders Church of God (Antioch Assembly) in Ogun State.
His words: “If Tinubu can fight against ethnic injustice by saying, “Awa Lokan, Yorùbá Lokan, Emi Lokan”, meaning “it is our turn, Yorùbá’s turn, and it’s my turn” to be the next president and they reasoned with him.
If the Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, could be saying the presidential power must come to the South, for fairness, equity and justice, then, they should also reason with millions of Christians across Nigeria, who are saying, once the presidential candidate is a Muslim then the running mate must be a Christian.”
He explained further that if they don’t want and can’t tolerate injustice, they shouldn’t whip others, especially Christians, with the rod of injustice.
Analysing the implications of the same faith ticket, the seasoned cleric said the APC was trying to lay a bad foundation for a great religious crisis that could expose the country to Islamic fanatics and extremists abroad and make them continue to besiege the country to perpetrate their political-religious agenda.
According to him, the incumbent president, who has been ruling the nation for eight years is a Muslim. And if an APC Christian president won’t succeed him in 2023, because of the “Emi Lokan (It’s my turn)” agitation, then they must be fair enough to allow a Christian to be the Vice President.