— Says Mechanics Can Be Dressed As ‘Bishops’ To Act Movies In Nollywood

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has formally disowned the ‘Bishops’ who attended the unveiling of Alhaji Kashim Shettima, as Alhaji Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election.

CAN, the umbrella Christian body in Nigeria, described the alleged Bishops as “desperados who attended the event for themselves.”

CAN issued it’s formal response through Reverend Joseph John Hayab, the Vice President of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja) and the Kaduna State CAN Chairman.

Reverend Hayab gave CAN’s position in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

CAN said though Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Presidential Candidate of the APC, and his party have the freedom to “hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them,” that effort would only add to their many ropes but would not change the need for fairness and justice.”

As CAN puts it: “The people we saw at the unveiling of Shettima paraded as Bishops are people who did not have enough time to learn how to wear Bishop garments. Take a closer look at their photo and you will see another Nollywood movie.

“CAN wonders why the desperation. First, a story was out claiming to have come from the Chairman of CAN Borno State only to be refuted.

“Secondly, there was another lie that BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and his running mate were on their way to meet CAN President one night. A meeting that was not true and was on a night that the CAN President was in Alabama, USA, attending Baptist World Alliance Conference of which he is the Vice President.

“Another desperation story was that they met Papa Adeboye, which the RCCG later refuted.

“If Christians are not important, why the desperation?

“BAT is free to hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them. An effort that will only add to their many ropes when the political exercise is over but will not change the need for fairness and justice that CAN is calling for.

“CAN appreciates that we are in a democracy, no need to do funny and dubious things just to prove a point because it will in the end bounce back. BAT team should simply do what is right and stop the drama,” he added. 

It would be recalled that CAN clearly kicked against Muslim-Muslim ticket for the number one seat in Nigeria, describing it as “injustice in a secular state like Nigeria.”