In order to save Nigeria from unnecessary religious motivated political crisis, Northern Christian and Muslim political leaders have decided to unite ahead of 2023, and move to adopt a consensus candidate to defeat APC’s same-faith ticket
The concerned leaders are All Progressives Congress (APC) Northern Christian leaders led by the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal who are leading the Christian community to work with their Muslim counterparts in the region to adopt one of the presidential candidates in a bid to defeat the APC.
The resolution was contained in a communique jointly signed by a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and minister of Water Resources during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Hon. Mukhtari Shagari and Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
The communique was the outcome of their consultative meeting and dialogue between Northern APC Christian Leaders and Northern Muslim Political Leaders held on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado Abuja.
The dialogue and consultative meeting had in attendance the following persons:
HE Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari
HE Boni Haruna
HE Abdulfatah Ahmed
Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara
Engr Babachir David Lawal
Hon Damishi Sango
Senator Idris Ahmed Umar
HE Yomi Awoniyi
HE Simon Achuba
Hon. Ummara Kumalia
Hon Baba Shehu Agaie
Air Marshall Monday Morgan (Retd)
General Ishaya Bauka (retd)
Mohammed Sani Sidi
Hon John B. Bawa
Dr Iliya Stephen Msheliza
Sarah Allabeh-nanpon
Shina Ibiyemi
Dr Auwalu Anwar
Dr Yakubu Tor-Agbidye
Hon Hassan Jonga
Hon Dauda Bundot
Alhaji Abdul Abubakar
Alhaji Musa Bello
Ishaku Pennap
Hon Leah Solomon
Mohammed Alhaji Yakubu
Professor Salamatu Machunga
Barrister Mela Nanghe SAN
Reverend Joseph Hayab
Dr Mrs Ruth Magaji
Reverend Innocent Solomon
Reverend Habila Tengya
Hon Haruna Mohammed, and
Hon Gwamna Dimas
While His Excellency, former Katsina Governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, Senator Adamu Aliero, Capt. Idris Wada, Senator Umaru Tsauri, Imam Sani Ishaq, Sheik Halliru Maraya, sent in apologies, they agreed with all decisions and resolutions of the meeting.
The communique reads: “The APC Northern Christian leaders have in line with their communique issued on July 29, 2022, today met with some Muslim brothers and sisters across the 19 northern states and the FCT and resolved as follows:
“1. That we have agreed to work together with a view to fostering unity, peace, and national cohesion.
“2. To work together and jointly adopt a pan-Nigerian political platform that will engender unity, inclusiveness, and a sense of belonging among the Nigerian citizenry.
“3. Conscious of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural configuration of Nigeria we believe that a same-faith ticket and voting along religious lines may trigger dangerous dimensions of negative consequences among our disparate peoples in ways that will hamper nation-building. Consequently, we have agreed to channel our energies on matters that unite us more as a people instead of encouraging attacks on sensitive issues bothering religion in the name of politics.
“4. In view of the above, we have agreed to set up a committee with the mandate to fashion out strategies for advancing the objectives set forth in this resolution.”