Comments On Christian Voters: Kaduna Can Chair, Others Chide El-Rufai

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State chapter
yesterday disclosed that the state Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai,
does not speak like a leader. CAN statement is coming on the heels
of the reports credited to el-Rufai that even if he picks the Pope
as a running mate, Christians in the Southern part of the state
would not vote for him during the elections.

Commenting on the issue, the state’s newly elected Chairman of
CAN, Revd Joseph Hayab, told Saturday Telegraph that a leader
cannot speak the way el-Rufai speaks. Hayab also noted that the
governor won election by the votes of all Kaduna residents, Muslims
and Christians, and wondered why he should be dividing the state.
He advised him to seek help either in any Kaduna hospital or abroad
to enable him speak properly. “This man did not become governor
just by exclusively Muslim votes; he became governor by the votes
of Kaduna people.

This is not even about campaigns; it shows that he has a
problem. We can only sympathise with him and I want Christians and
Muslims to come out and pray for God to save him because he does
not even understand what politics is all about.” Bishop Oscar
Ossai, Senior Pastor, City of Refuge Ministries International,
Lagos, has also said the story and his view is that el-Rufai is a
careless talker.

He said that the governor had better go and appeal to his
constituents and win their favour. “Instead of accepting that he
has lost the people that he is supposed to lead, he is trying to
turn it into a religious crisis. The governor has lost his people.
“He cannot just take the name of the Pope like that, but he’s a
careless talker. He cannot mention the name of the Pontiff
carelessly. “In the very first place, the Pontiff, as far as
protocols are concerned worldwide, is the head of ambassador nuncio
in any nation in the world.

“The Pope’s representative in this nation is the ambassador
number one. So, to talk about the Pope like that, is a careless way
of talking. We church leaders take an exception to such
commentary,” the bishop said.

Also, Rev. Charles Ikanem of Christ Delivers Apostolic ministry,
who doubles as the provincial media director of the Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), said el-Rufai was write in his
statement as, according to him, “it won’t happen because he has a
bias mind against the Christians and he shouldn’t expect them to
vote for him.” Ikanem said: “I believe he has said the right thing;
I don’t think any Christian will like to bring him in. He knows
that he has always been against the Christians, so, he is right to
have said that nothing will make them vote for him.”