Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria on Sunday, rose in defense of the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai over his six-minute viral video justifying his choice of appointing Muslims to occupy top positions in the Kaduna State Government at the expense of Christians.
This was just as Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, the co-chairman of the House of Kaduna Family, a peace-building body in the the Kaduna Peace Commission, resigned his appointment over El-Rufai’s inflammatory statement.
According to report by the PUNCH, the former governor, who made the revelation during a meeting with some Islamic clerics on the eve of his final day in office, said the Muslims voted for the APC during the last election.
In the video, he told his audience that the dominance of Islam in the governance of Kaduna State had come to stay as he expressed relief that the trend had been successfully replicated at the national level with the election of former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as president and Kashim Shettima as the vice.
But the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria through its chairman, Rev. John Hayab, in reaction, urged Nigerians to ignore El-Rufai’s utterances, declaring that the former governor was only playing a game and seeking attention. The cleric spoke on Arise Television’s ‘Morning show’.
The CAN’s statement infuriated the Sharia Council through its state Secretary, AbdurRahman Hassan, in Kaduna on Sunday, declaring that the Christian Association would have shut up, and follow the line of Honour! If it had known.
The Council lamented how if not for God, Nigeria would have long gone after the 2023 general elections because of unguarded utterances by Christian leaders across the country.
The statement referenced one Apostle Kassy Chukwu in a video that went viral on social media, where he insinuated that Tinubu’s wife should have poisoned him, yet the CAN did nothing.
The statement added, “For the past one week the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State Chapter has been wagging tongues accusing the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufa’i for making some statements as far as CAN is concerned, simply because he aired his view on the political realities of Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“During the campaigns of the just concluded elections in this country, where was CAN when a majority of pastors were making unguarded utterances, which if not for the help of Allah (SWT), Nigeria would have been history.
“Where was CAN when a pastor stood on the pulpit with AK-47 in Abuja? Where was CAN when some Christian clergies were making prophecies of doom for this country? But Alhamdu Lillah, all the hullabaloo, and all the fake and false prophecies, nothing negative happened to our dear country Nigeria.
“The Muslim Ummah has been tolerant enough, if not, there is no way, a Muslim Dominated state like Taraba, will be governed by a Christian. If a plateau state with a population of over 35per cent Muslims were denied the Deputy Governor slot, why should Kaduna State with a Muslim population of close to 75 per cent not have Muslim-Muslim ticket?
“CAN should better understand that democracy is a game of numbers, and that was what played out during the just concluded presidential elections.
“The Muslim votes were divided into four places; Mallam Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC, Alh. Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of NNPP and Mallam Kola Abiola of PRP, while the entire Christians of both northern and southern parts of this country (if not but a few) gave a bulk vote to Mr. Peter Obi of LP. Despite this, Mallam Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, emerged as the winner of the election and is now our President.
“Let the politicalised CAN understand that peace is only achieved when there is justice and adherence to the democratic norm, which is relative to demographic realities.
“Good men of God always preach peace, not violence and instigative tendencies which in turn, will be a threat to peace and development. We eschew CAN to toe the line of honour in neutrality, rather than playing double standards.”
Meanwhile, Kure, who’s the Founder, of Throne-room Ministry, Kafanchan, in a letter of resignation which was addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, said the resignation was with immediate effect.
He said he couldn’t in good conscience serve on a committee that will promote disharmony and the further disintegration of our great nation.
He alleged that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai never executed any of their suggestions from their several parleys with him.
The letter partly reads, “In the backdrop of the viral video statement credited to His Excellency, the now defunct Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (which he is yet to openly deny) in which he openly thanked one religion over the other and explained why his government discriminated against one side and his wish that the Muslim-Muslim ticket and religion be entrenched as the sole ruler over Nigeria, which is contrary to my belief and the fairness that my faith teaches me and that, I think, the Peace Commission stands for.
“I hereby tender my resignation as both Co-Chair and Member of this laudable Committee because it is clear that we were set up to serve a diversionary interest and that we were not meant to succeed.
“This may explain why the governor never executed any of our suggestions from our several parleys with him.
“I cannot in good conscience serve in a committee that will promote the disharmony, and the further disintegration of our great nation.
“More so, it is clear that this explains why he arbitrarily proscribed the Atyap Development Association to send a warning to the other associations in Southern Kaduna that the same fate awaits them if they try to bring the plight of Southern Kaduna people to the rest of the world.
“My prayer is that the current government will do things to heal the wounds that this grave statement has brought to Southern Kaduna people and its inappropriate message to all Christians in Nigeria.
“I also pray that the Federal Government will find a way of discountenancing his views in other to maintain peace and mutual trust between the religions in the country.
“I thank the Peace Commission for the opportunity to serve and to get to know closely the wonderful Muslim leaders with whom I served on this great committee.
“I will always have respect for them and the wonderful job we set out to do, and the sacrifice we all made to try to bring peace and assure the people of the integrity of government to which I regret today to announce following the speech of His Excellency, that we have been taken for a ride.
“l am available to serve in any capacity that will promote sincere peace in any future proper platform with sincere intentions.
“I commend the maturity and hard work of the leadership of the Peace Commission from the Chairman, to the Vice Chairman and all the Secretariat staff in their sincere work for peace.”
