CAN wants a Religion balance for Leadership of House of Reps

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has followed with keen interest the unfolding leadership tussle in the soon-to-be inaugurated 9th Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wishes to lend its voice to the loud cries and calls for equitable representation in the choice of leaders for the Senate and House of Representatives.

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, there is today an urgent need for deliberate balancing in the nation’s governance to ensure fairness and equity in religious and geographical spread in the selection of the country’s leaders. This is necessary in view of the current fragile state of inter-group relations in Nigeria and the need to arrest the current drift in the direction of mutual suspicion.

CAN wishes to call on all men and women of honor, goodwill and patriotism to bring their influence to bear in strengthening the bonds of unity among Nigerians by calling on our political leaders, their parties and especially, our esteemed elected members of the ninth assembly to rise above narrow group interest and embrace consensus-building across religious divides. This will go a long way in ensuring that the nation’s critical and fragile religious balance is reflected and sustained in the choice of those to lead them as presiding officers in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

This call has become necessary in view of the unfolding lobby for a single religion to take over as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. We wish to state that if this is allowed to go unchecked, a bad and dangerous precedence will be set which will further widen the religious fault lines of our country.

We believe that it is fair, equitable and just for the House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly to have a Muslim/Christian balance in leadership as already being envisaged in the Senate. We equally appeal to those who may want to dismiss this patriotic call to be circumspect in their responses and allow their inner patriotic sentiments to guide their actions. We must take deliberate steps to allay the fears of religious domination and marginalization in government business in this country.

A situation where the country’s leadership structure does not reflect her diversity with control of the three arms of government in the hands of one religious group to the exclusion of others will only but heighten suspicion and give credence to the growing allegations of a grand Islamization plot by sections of the country.

CAN therefore being mindful of her standing in society, and as a responsible and patriotic body, calls on our political leaders, especially those in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to act with caution and sensitivity by respecting our cherished traditions of leadership balance as has been the practice over the years.

We congratulate all elected members of the 9th National Assembly on their victories at the polls and pray that the Almighty God, the Maker and Giver of power, positions and leadership will guide their hearts and minds as they are inaugurated in this month of June, 2019.

God bless the 9th National Assembly

God bless Nigeria.

Signed;

Evangelist Barrister Kwamkur Samuel Vondip,

National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).