.Urges losers to accept results
By Usman Bello,
Minna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on all the Governorship candidates of political parties to ensure they pick Christian/Moslem running mates for the 2019 election as a mark of recognition and respect for the two major religions in Nigeria.
Niger State CAN Chairman, Rev. Mathias Echioda, made the appeal in his congratulatory message to winners in the just concluded party Primaries in the state.
He also advised all the candidates to respect the heterogeneity of Nigeria which in essence does not accord absolute power of a particular religion over others.
Describing the exercise as ‘highly commendable’, Echioda said that though CAN was neither a political association nor partisan, the demand for a joint Muslim/Christian ticket in Niger State was legitimate, especially for equity and fairness to all.
According to him, “This sense of maturity exhibited by state government and the politicians is highly commendable, especially when the violence that characterized similar exercises in most states across the country is taken into consideration.
“We see the wanton destruction of lives and properties in some other states as unwarranted and avoidable, especially when politics is viewed from the point of sports whereby both winners and losers must emerge after the contest.”
The cleric also appealed that non-Muslims who emerged winners should not be denied of the mandate.
“For Christians who participated and won in the recent primaries, we strongly ask such political parties in the state to declare such winners and urgently give them their mandates”.
CAN also called on both politicians and the electorate across Nigeria, Niger state in particular, to give peace a chance by ensuing that they play according to the rules of the game, avoid hate speeches, campaign of calumny, and assassination of character, among others.
Campaigns should be issue-based to avoid chaos that could lead to bloodshed and destruction of properties, Echioda said as he commended all the political parties that participated in the primaries for the success recorded, especially the gubernatorial.