A group under the aegis of Advocates for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) has warned Christian leaders in Nigeria to unite against the deliberate and systemic persecutions and political marginalization of Christians in the northern part of the country and other areas.
The group which is coalition of sixty-three Christian groups and associations bonded with a burden for virile interventions in the governance and social concerns of Nigeria, disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos.
Addressing journalists, Coordinator of the group, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel of the Christian Social Movement of Nigeria in a statement titled: “The Nigeria Church: Time to reason together” said Christianity is under attack in the country, and that unless Christian leaders unite to present a common front, Christians will continue to play second fiddle politically in the country.
“It is no longer news that several towns and villages with Christian identities have been destroyed, looted, burnt down and taken over by people intent on redrawing the demographics of Nigeria through dispossession of ancestral homelands.
“We mourn with the countless individuals and families that have lost loved ones in strategic orgies of death and kidnappings unleashed upon the country by religious extremists and other adherents of the doctrine of hate,” he added.
Pastor Emmanuel said of particular concern to AFD is the fact that these atrocities are being committed in a country with vibrant and overflowing churches, “the sad implication is that our Christianity is neither salt nor light enough to the society due to disunity among church leaders.”
“Reason why Nigeria is experiencing problems is because the Christian body is not organized at all. The only body that is ready is the Muslims. Right now Nigeria standing on one leg which is Islam, and this is the more reason why Christians in the country more present a single front, “he said.
According to him, Christians in the country are not politically organized unlike the Muslims who have the Sultan of Sokoto as a rallying point when it comes to both political and religious matter in the country.
In her own comment, one of the leaders of the group, Pastor Obele Ibanga explained that the intention of the group is not to look down on other religion, but rather to ensure fairness and equity in the polity of the country.
She said the AFD is therefore calling all Church leaders to begin to tune their minds to the need for national repentance, and also reject doctrines that promote greed and covetousness.
“There is need for a conference of Christian leaders to ‘reason together’ to urgently point the way forward for all Christians, based on an evaluation of the revealed will of God at this critical time. Christian denominations and groups should collaborate with the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) to quickly organize a conference to examine the phenomenon of One Nation, Two Systems. The crisis of Nigeria is constitutional, and only a united Christian stand can resolve it,” she added.