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The presidential aspirations of Mr. Peter Obi on Saturday got a major boast as thousands of bishops, primates, and Imams under the aegis of Inter-Faith Alliance pledged to support him saying that he presented a balanced ticket.
The delegation of clerics, which was led to the party’s secretariat included the General Overseer of World Harvest Ministry, Archbishop Leonard Kawaz, and an Imam from Gwarinpa Central Mosque, Sheikh Murtala Muhammed.
Speaking to newsmen, Kawaz, who is also prelate of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria disclosed that they came to register their displeasure over plans of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party to make moves that could spilt the country along ethno-religious lines.
The head of the Inter-Faith Alliance pointed out that this informed the decision to encourage their over 5,000 religious leaders, many of whom came from Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger and Abuja to attend the event, to throw their weight behind Obi and his running mate, Datti Yusuf.
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He said, ‘I stand here today to reject the Muslim-Muslim ticket just like I would have rejected a Christian-Christian ticket. It is not also okay to tell me and my team that while we rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket, we should now turn around and vote for a politician of the same tribe as the outgoing president in this multi-lingual, tribal and racial nation.
‘We know what is lacking in Nigeria is knowledge and understanding that a Muslim does not necessarily need to become a Christian for us to live in peace, neither does a Christian need to become a Muslim to live in peace.’
What we need is an understanding of the two faiths. There are faiths aside from Islam and Christianity that we have also been interacting with. We need everybody.
‘Having examined all the candidates of political parties, we have come to the conclusion that the Labour Party has done the right thing for Nigeria by fielding His Excellency Peter Obi and Datti Yusuf. These are distinguished gentlemen who have proven themselves in leadership and management of resources in their previous endeavours.’
Kawaz, who have lived in Abuja for 24 years, reiterated that Nigeria was at a crossroad where the critical presidential election that will take place in a few months will either make or mar the country.
Muhammed also seemed to share his position when he disclosed that Nigerians should not regard the obnoxious Muslim-Muslim ticket as an option.
He stated, ‘We have also made up our mind not to support any party with a Muslim-Muslim ticket because it was borne out of the selfish interest of one person. We support the motion for harmony and peaceful co-existence with our Christian brothers.
‘That is why we are also willing to go all the way to vote party with a balanced ticket. May God continue to help Nigeria and his people.’
While appreciating the delegation of clerics, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, begged them to continue praying for the movement and safety of their supporters across the country.
Abure lamented that a considerable number of their followers in different parts of the country have come under attack in recent times.
