Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has clarified that the Muslim- Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not done to undermine the influence or relevance of Christians, but simply a calculated political strategy by the party to win the presidential election.
Fayemi – who stated this in Ado-Ekiti during a courtesy visit by the new executives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ekiti State Chapter, led by its Chairman, Dr Emmanuel Aribasoye – said the choice of a Muslim running mate for the APC presidential candidate was not because there were no competent Christian politicians from the North as being erroneously peddled in some quarters.
While adding that there are so many competent Christians in the North and all over Nigeria, the governor noted that the responsibility of the Church where social justice is being preached should include looking at the challenges being faced by Christians and seeking how good governance can address and improve upon them.
He urged Christian leaders to eschew what he called “the theology of disengagement” and embrace politics by converting the current challenge to an opportunity to present a charter of demands to all political candidates based on irreducible minimum conditions acceptable to Christendom.
He offered: “Many Christians see politics as a dirty game and for this reason are disengaged from the political process. It’s time for us to realise that there are compelling reasons for Christians to participate in politics.
In my own opinion, whatever makes us good Christians makes us good citizens.
However, Fayemi commended CAN for its role in promotingpeaceand harmony both at the state and national levels and urged the association not to relent in its prayer for the peace of the country.