CAN youth wing slams MURIC over attack on RCCG’s Directorate of Politics

The National Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), has lambasted the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), for calling on political parties in the country not to give their 2023 presidential tickets and other elective positions to Christians who are members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG).

The MURIC call followed the establishment of a Directorate of Political Affairs by the RCCG.

In a statement on Friday, Chairman of the Islamic advocacy group in Bauchi State, Idrees Safiyanu Gambo, had warned parties that picked a member of the church to forget about the presidency in 2023.

In the statement, Gambo had said, among other things, that any party that dared to pick their presidential candidates from the RCCG should “kiss Aso Rock goodbye”.

He also said:

“Since the RCCG has the effrontery to launch a national political structure, the rest of us have no option than to challenge this existential threat.

“We must work towards our survival before the RCCG tsunami threat sweeps Islam and other Christian denominations out of existence.

“In fact, it is unimaginable to expect the emergence of RCCG candidates as winners in Northern States and we will ensure that this does not happen now or any time in the future.

“Any Muslim who queues behind a Redeemer is now considered a traitor to the cause of Islam and this is not what we want at this critical point in our nation,” Gambo also stated.

But in a response to the MURIC statement, CAN’s Youth Wing National Chairman, Belusochukwu Enwere, said MURIC’s statement was not only an insult to the Redeemed Church but also to Christians in the country and an abuse of the freedom of the people.

Speaking at a press conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Saturday, Enwere said MURIC was capitalising on the secularist nature of Nigeria to incite its members against Christians.

“This singular statement of MURIC shows the low level of the said group and how blind they are in the 21st century.

Read also: CAN youths flay DSS over invitation of Bishop Kukah, demand same treatment for Gumi

“For MURIC to say they are challenging RCCG for having the effrontery to launch a political and good governance wing is an insult to our fathers and the entire Christians in Nigeria, especially we the young people,” Enwere said.

“MURIC calling another faith-based group that will queue behind any candidate from RCCG a traitor is an abuse of office and their freedom of association as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution, and their warning to Islamic organizations and Muslim communities against supporting RCCG is indirectly telling them not to support a Christian candidate in 2023.

“It’s the turn of Christians to produce the next president of the country in 2023. We call on them to join hands with us to preach for peace, oneness and help make Nigeria a better place where both Christians and Muslims will be seen as one and have equal rights in all ramifications,” he added.

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