‘By 2043, Christianity in Nigeria may cease to exist, beginning in 2018’, the National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, led by former minister of defence, and Solomon Asemota, SAN, revealed this on Sunday, June 24, 2018.
‘The present generation of Christians faces the risk of being the last set of Christians in Nigeria,” the secretary of NCEF, Bosun Emmanuel said in a lecture titled, “Impact of lack of unity in CAN as threat to Christian faith”, delivered during the annual conference of Catholic Men’s Guild, held at the Catholic Church of Assumption, Ikoyi in Lagos.
The NCEF, therefore, urged the Christian Association of Nigeria to brace up before the 2019 general elections–or else it might be too late to preserve Christianity in Nigeria.
Emmanuel is quoted as saying that President Muhammadu Buhari “is openly pursuing an anti-Christian agenda that has resulted in countless murders of Christians all over the nation and destruction of vulnerable Christian communities.”
“Due to the inability of CAN to forge Christians into one indivisible army of the Lord, the Church has been weakened and unable to stand before its enemies,” he said, adding Christianity is on the brink of extinction in Nigeria since ascendancy of Sharia ideology in Nigeria.
“It is therefore imperative that CAN must be restructured, as a matter of urgency, if Christianity is to survive. CAN belongs to every Christian in Nigeria and there is nothing wrong with the association. It is the management that should be revisited and restructured.”
Other members of the NCEF include Professor Joseph Otubu, Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (retd.), Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Dr. Kate Okpareke, Dr. Ayo Abifarin, Gen. Zamani Lekwot (retd.), Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro and Elder Matthew Owojaiye.
Other members are Justice Kalajine Anigbogu (retd.), Elder Shyngle Wigwe, P. L. Dabup, Sir John W. Bagu, Dr. Saleh Hussaini, Elder Mike Orobator, Justice James Ogebe (retd.), Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Debo Omotosho, Dame Priscilla Kuye, Dr. S. D. Gani, Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, Prof. Yussuf Turaki, and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel (Secretary).
According to Emmanuel, disunity has crept into Christendom in Nigeria because of the deviation from the norms for which CAN was founded in 1976.
“The Catholic Church should be prepared to return completely into the fold of CAN and participate fully in providing leadership in these troublous times. God warned in 2013 that we were not careful, in 30 to 40 years, Nigeria would be like Turkey,” he said.
“A divided CAN cannot defend democracy and promote justice, equity, and fairness. Consequently, Sharia will grow stronger. As Sharia grows stronger, democracy will become weaker and the Church will be emasculated out of existence.
Emmanuel raised a similar alarm in the run-up to the 2015 elections, urging Christians to not vote in a Muslim.
He, however, has only historical evidence–as in Turkey’s Christianity before the Ottoman–to substantiate his claim.
