March 11: Christian group, ACIPA faults Shettima’s visit to Jos

By Kingsley Chukwuka

A Christian group under the aegis of AREWA Christians and Indigenous Pastors (ACIPA), has decried the visit of the Vice-president elect, Sen. Kashim Shittima to Jos given his pedigree as a religious bigot.

ACIPA said as someone who has openly spoken against the Christian faith, Shettima’s visit to Sheik Yahaya Jengre, also known for his religious intolerance, leaves more suspicion and questions especially at the eve of the March 11 Governorship elections.

“Jengre who is known for his hatred, derogatory and inflammatory statements against Christians such as reference to Christians as minorities and infidels is highly suspicious and questionable”, Chairman of ACIPA, Rev. Luke Shehu said in a press briefing in Jos on Wednesday.

According to him: “Interestingly, parties to the meeting with Shettima include, Hon. Idris Ahmed Majeh, Hon. Babayo Yusuf Gagdi and the Plateau State APC candidate who is a former INEC commissioner, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda.

“ACIPA holds exception and reservation to the visit of Shettima to Plateau State without similar consultation with Christian leaders on the Plateau considering his antecedence in past as well as the the religiously polarised campaign of superiority of Islam above Christianity by some clerics and APC pundits.

“We are aware of the massive plan for the vote buying and manipulations of the 11th March 2023 elections to impose the APC candidate on the people of Plateau State reminiscence of what happened at the Presidential election. We are afraid this is the plan by APC across the States of the federation with the tacit support of their State governors and other government officials.

“ACIPA have no option than to call on Plateau people and in deed all Nigerians to vote peacefully for the PDP candidates, whether Christians or Muslims in all the State of the federation as the political party with a semblance of unifying Nigerians without sentiments, nepotism or bigotry.

“Vote for PDP, resist any form of rigging or manipulations by APC, ensure results  are announced at polling units, escort announced results from wards to local government and State collation centers.

“All Nigerians should resist molestation by security operatives and ensure results counted are announced at all collation centers and uploaded as well as captured in INEC portals in accordance with due processes.

“Any attempt to manipulate this Governorship election by INEC, security operatives or government officials will not be accepted by ACIPA and Nigerians”, Shehu said.