Fake Bishop Saga: Tinubu campaign team claims ‘clergymen’ at Shettima unveiling upcoming men of God

The Tinubu Campaign Organisation (TCO), has reacted to the controversies generated by the appearance of some ‘clergymen’ during the unveiling of the running mate of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, at the Shehu Yar’adua Convention Centre in Abuja on Wednesday.

The appearance of the ‘men of God’ at the event generated so much talking points and condemnation from many Nigerians including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which distanced itself from the so-called Bishops while the social media had been agog with revelations that they were fake men of God hired by the APC to give semblance of the acceptance of the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket by the Christian body.

CAN had also disowned the bishops in a statement on Wednesday, saying they were not known bishops and had no church, while challenging the “APC to reveal the names of the fake bishops and the church they are pastoring.”

But in a statement on Thursday to clear the air on the saga, the Director of Media and Communication of the TCO, Bayo Onanuga, said the bishops were not hired or fake as being speculated, but upcoming men of God who are still building their ministries.

Read also: ‘Tinubu has chosen to walk in Abiola’s path with Shettima’s choice,’ Says APC chairman, Adamu

According to Onanuga, “the clerics are patriotic Nigerians who believe in the unity of the country,” adding that “they are not big names in Christendom yet but coming up.”

In the statement made available to Ripples Nigeria, the TCO said:

“We want to say that those clergymen were not fake, not mechanics or yam sellers as the purveyors of hatred have made Nigerians to believe in the social media. They are not big names in Christendom yet, they are gradually building up their missions.

“They are church leaders who genuinely believe that Nigerians must eschew politics of hatred and religious bigotry and rather embrace politics of peace and nation building.

“We, therefore, deplore the hysterical twisting of the presence of these men and women in cassocks and the false accusation against our candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Shettima.”

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