The Christian Association of Nigeria has accused the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of parading hired mechanics and artisans dressed as bishops and pastors at the unveiling of the former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.
Religion Nigeria reported earlier that the presence of some men dressed as Christian clerics caused confusion at Shettima’s unveiling which was held on Wednesday at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre amidst controversies surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket, now which has been openly frowned against by CAN and other stakeholders.
However, in a statement hours after photographs of the supposed clerics went viral, CAN disowned the individuals whose names and denominations remain unknown, adding that Tinubu’s effort to hire the actors would not change the need for fairness and justice.
The Vice President of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja) and its chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja, according to The PUNCH.
He said, “The people we saw at the unveiling of Shettima paraded as Bishops are people who did not have enough time to learn how to wear Bishop garments. Take a closer look at their photo and you will see another Nollywood movie.
“CAN wonders why the desperation. First, a story was out claiming to have come from the Chairman of CAN Borno state only to be refuted. Secondly, there was another lie that BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and his running mate were on their way to meet CAN President one night. A meeting that was not true and was on a night that the CAN President was in Alabama USA attending Baptist World Alliance Conference of which he is the Vice President.
“Another desperation story was that they met Papa Adeboye which the RCCG later refuted. If Christians are not important why the desperation?
“BAT is free to hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them. An effort that will only add to their many ropes when the political exercise is over but will not change the need for fairness and justice that CAN is calling for.
“CAN appreciate that we are in a democracy, no need to do funny and dubious things just to prove a point because it will in the end bounce back. BAT team should simply do what is right and stop the drama.”