Christians have been admonished to shun any presidential candidate fielding a single faith ticket in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
The admonition was given on Monday by the Bishop of Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, Most Reverend Mathew Ndagoso, Naija News reports.
Recall that Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), is fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
Former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, and his presidential running mate, Kashim Shettima, are both Muslims, respectively, from the South-west and Northeastern regions of the country
Speaking at an event in Kaduna on Monday, Bishop Ndagoso said that such tickets do not promote equity, fairness and unity, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria.
Bishop Ndagoso insisted that religion is an essential factor in the nation’s socio-political charter, which any political party or presidential candidate must consider when making their election choices.
He observed that Nigeria is a diverse country, hence its religious, social and cultural diversities are a blessing that can and should be harnessed by those in leadership positions.
Ndagoso said: “Nigeria is a very diverse country, we come from different cultural backgrounds, religious backgrounds, and social backgrounds and our diversities are not a curse; they are blessings from God.
“All we need are leaders who will be able to manage and harness these diversities as to enrich our country. Therefore, the kind of leader Nigeria needs is somebody who has the ability to manage our differences and bring everybody together and give everyone a sense of belonging.”
The church leader again forbid Christians from wasting their votes on a single faith ticket, adding that any party that is insensitive to the feelings of Christians must be ready to live with the consequences of their action.
