By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Some Nigerians on social media are protesting the choice of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as one of the speakers at this year’s annual event, The Platform.
The platform, an annual programme organised by the senior pastor of the Covenant Christian Centre, Poju Oyemade, has attracted great speakers over the years in x-raying the challenges facing Nigeria.
Among the speakers listed for this year’s event include the Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and a former aviation minister, Osita Chidoka. Only El-Rufai’s choice as a speaker is being protested.
The protesters, using the hashtag #BoycottThePlatform on Twitter, want El-Rufai rejected as a speaker at the event just the way the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) rejected him as a speaker at its conference after a series of protest.
Many reasons were adduced for the rejection of El-Rufai as a speaker at the event, including a post he shared in 2013 where he used Jesus Christ in a bad joke.
@cchukudebelu said: “This is the guy they are inviting to #ThePlatform? Tomorrow, they’ll say ‘he was a teenager when he composed this tweet.’ I support #BoycottThePlatform“
@IamTheIroko said: “Don’t sugar coat anything El-Rufai has sufficient materials online to show he is an ethnic jingoist, a bigot and a dangerous man. #BoycottThePlatform.”
@TheoAbuAgada said: “How can a man who arrogantly removed a Christian deputy and replaced him with a Muslim deputy be invited to a Christian program to speak? #BoycottThePlatform.”
@verynigeriangal said: “Dear @pastorpoju ,if the NIgerian Bar Association could rescind the invitation for @elrufai a well known purveyor of hate and violence with unbidden hate towards Christians I see no reason why the Church of Jesus Christ should have him on their stage #BoycottThePlatform”
