[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he waiting game is finally over! It has taken some time for the masquerade Tinubu garbed in Muslim-Muslim ticket to be revealed! I had no doubt his proposal wasn’t a threat. My challenge was who among the alleged leaders of terrorism in Nigeria will this masquerade be? Would it be Nasir El-Rufai, the Fulani Negotiator in Chief who went to their settlements in the sub-region to plead with them on behalf the APC led the government to stop killing Nigerians? Who also paid them an unrevealed large sum of money from our treasury as compensations for their claim against Southern Kaduna community. Or would it be Sheikh Isa Pantami, the registrar of NIN under whose supervision it is alleged that foreign mercenaries hired to help them win 2015 election have been rewarded with Nigerian citizenships? Our Minister of Communication under whose ministry it has been impossible to track terrorists, when on the same platform, one can order a ride for a friend and monitor the movement from Lagos to Kuje! Curiously, our communication networks didn’t pick any of the signal of the over 100 terrorists with phones who came on bikes, operated for three unhindered hours and left without a trace till the moment of writing this article.
The shame of the Communications Ministry and her failure to provide credible and effective support for intelligence system is the disappointment expressed by Mr President on Kuje jail break! The spiritual mentoring of the Sheikh is still of essence to APC and Muhammadu Buhari, reason he was retained against global expectations when fingers were pointed at him as having link with terror operations in the country. He is of course an asset of sort to the realization of Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim Presidency!
The masquerade is finally out and it is Kashim Shettima! The worst of the worst.
Unveiling The Other Side Of Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Who is Shettima?
Shettima is the former Governor of Borno whom Governor Nyesom Wike wrote on the necessity of WAEC and NECO to be done in the state capital because of insecurity that was prevalent in the North East at that time. He went ahead to compromise that instruction against the position of WAEC, NECO and Ministry of Education. Little wonder Wike swore never to be part of APC. Shettima was the Chief Security Officer of Borno State on the day 274 Chibok girls were kidnapped and carted away. Upon Shettima’s instruction, the Principal of the school was prevented from appearing before the panel set up by the FG to probe the incident. The principal was later promoted, I guess for a job well done!
Shettima was the former Governor of Borno openly accused by the then Commander- in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for frustrating the war against Boko Haram. What are the details of the Jonathan led government’s frustrations? Time to talk is now! If only to save Nigeria and Nigerians from the next level of insecurity that Tinubu/Shettima are promising to make XTRA LEVEL!
Shettima is the man Ali-Modu Sheriff cried out about when he was accused of being the Governor who started Boko Haram. “It is Shettima and not me who started Boko Haram”, Ali modu Sheriff said! Between Sheriff and Shettima, one of them started Boko Haram and if it is Shettima, what does the future hold with the founder of Boko Haram as our country’s Vice President? I leave that question not to CAN but to the consciences of all terror stricken Nigerians to answer at the ballot!
With all his past dirty and dangerous antecedents and even among all the Muslims in Nigeria, Muslim Shettima is the one Muslim Tinubu decided to insult and threaten Nigerians in general and Christians in particular with.
CAN is the political head of all Christians in Nigeria. Unfortunately, that head seems to have been long cut off, even before beheading of Christians in Nigeria became almost a daily ritual by the Islamic terror groups in the country!
From the outset, Tinubu was very clear in his negotiations with the North. He assured them during his many consultations that it was going to be a Muslim/Muslim game. That was the ground upon which he was able to curry their support.
While Christian leaders were reeling in their intro reactive mode, Tinubu had made up his mind! His fans hailed and believed they can bully the rest of the country into accepting whatever their master decides to force down Nigerian’s throats.
I had expected the reaction of CAN to Tinubu’s disdain and disrespect for Christians to be prompt, decisive and backed with well organized sensitisation, mobilisation and coordination of Christians against the devilish plan against Christians in Nigeria.
Against the backdrop of CAN leadership Only Christian denominations and individual believers seeking the kingdom first in politics as with all things according to the instructions of the Master, Jesus! Can help out.
Matt.6vs33 (KJV):
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The mundane things to gain for trading faith to fire is in God’s reward system when we put His Kingdom first. Will help arise for us! 2023 mandate of the church can’t be entrusted to those who are determined to build heavens on earth at whatever cost!
The occasion and location chosen by Alhaji Tinubu to make public the announcement of his choice of running mate – Alhaji Shettima is very damning and insensitive. In Daura, at the home of the most bigoted leader under whose watch many Christian lives were senselessly taken by fools who claim to be defending the Muslim faith. The choice of a Muslim festive period doesn’t look a harmless coincidence. This man is only ready to satisfy his kingmakers at the expense of all Nigerians. God forbid this succeeds.
Alhaji Tinubu’s said: “…. I made this choice because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians…”
According to Tinubu, he could not see any Christian that is competent, trustworthy and suitable for him to work with to achieve his government goal”.
Alhaji Tinubu is right, his goal which the fulanis has perfected and forced on him is nothing but the Islamization of Nigeria which can be unachievable except through the Muslim-Muslim ticket. This was the only reason they gave him the ticket. The man has already been caged even before he stood for an election.
A popular adage says, “there is no need to cry when the head is off”! CAN’s head is off!
Can you still remember a saying that became popular, “CAN my foot?” The man at the centre of that grandstanding in the name of defending Christians against terror attacks in Plateau State was and is a card-carrying member of APC. He was rewarded for his role in bringing PDP out of power with his appointment as Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Board. Rev Yakubu Pam, is today the Chairman of CAN for all the 19th Northern States of Nigeria!
Rev. Dr Supo Ayokunle is the President of CAN who issued the threat against Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, but now his threat and that of CAN under his leadership have been thrown back at them! Christians at home and abroad await their response. At least their response will confirm or put a lie to the rumour that the CAN leadership are on APC payroll.
Where would the loyalty of Snr. Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, the Assistant National Secretary of CAN be? His Party or The Church? He did not only nurse a Senatorial ambition under APC, he actually contested for the party ticket. This is one of the reasons the church cannot rely on the current leadership of CAN led by Rev. Dr. Ayokunle.
In Lagos, the Home Affairs Ministry has been part of Tinubu’s process of realizing his long-time ambition. The Islamization of the State is in progress, not once has the Home Affairs ministry ever fallen into the hands of a Christian since Tinubu purchased Lagos permanently with a mandate that officially terminated in 2007. CAN in Lagos is just docile, incapacitated and completely harnessed. It is difficult to believe that they are not an appendage of the State government. I have called their attention to no avail, to the secret review of the Customary Law of Lagos by the Alhaji Mudasiru Obasa led House of Assembly, granting power to the Chairman of the State Judiciary Commission, Alhaji (Justice) Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba to ESTABLISH SHARIA COURT AS HE DEEMED FIT! To date, CAN has been deaf and dumb since I went public on this. Can’t they say something? Who are they afraid of? The church cannot and will not serve her God in fear as these leaders with connivance of their paymasters want her to be.
It will not be a surprise to see Alhaji Tinubu in the next Holy Ghost Service or preparing for March 2023 edition of the Service for his victory Thanksgiving Service. What RCCG lost in an Osinbajo Presidency they may gain with Oluremi Tinubu’s first ladyship. At the end of the day, the larger christian body will be the loser!
In the light of the above, it is imperative for the five (5) blocs of the CAN namely: Christian Council of Nigeria, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria with which we have CPFN, Organisation of African Instituted Churches and Evangelical Church Winning All/ with which we have TECAN and other northern based missions to rise as a matter of emergency to rescue the church from the enemies within and outside, by declaring the incumbent APC dominated leadership of CAN as spiritually and morally unfit to lead the battle for the deliverance of the church from the killers currently in government and the enemies of the church aspiring to succeed them.
The leaders of each of the blocs should as a matter of urgency embrace an alternative strategy that will sensitize and empower their members to resist the impending relegation of Christians to second-class citizens in their own country. A proactive and strategic operation must be undertaken to serve the greater good of all Christians going forward to 2023 now!
CAN promised to respond soon. No one expects anything but a spineless outcome as majority of the characters leading the association today are partisan and not courageous enough to mobilise the church against these people that have no regard for the church and her faithful.
The church must be bold to mobilize and put her vote where her faith and people will be recognized, appreciated and protected even if the candidate supported did not win, our traducers will at least get the message that the church should not be dared in future elections
I know that the church’s vote will decide this election if her leadership decides to do the needful.
The time to act is now! An apostolic platform exclusively to prosecute this all-important make or mar 2023 election may be the way to go!
Bolaji O. Akinyemi is the Convener, Apostolic Round Table. He can be reached via his website https://www.artintl.org/.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
