2023: Northern Christians are divided over Peter Obi’s endorsement

Some prominent Northern Christian leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have distanced themselves from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal’s endorsement of the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Northern APC members, according to the group led by former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, never made a decision to support Obi.

Lawal made the decision to support Obi, according to the group.

Lawal revealed a few days ago that the group had chosen the LP presidential candidate after extensive deliberation.

The group has stated that it will not support the APC because of its Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

They complained that the APC should have chosen a Northern Christian presidential running mate rather than a Muslim.

The endorsement, however, was rejected in a statement signed by Dogara, Simon Achuba, Albert Atiwurcha, Prof Doknan Sheni, Mela Nunge (SAN), Gen. Ishaya Bauka (rtd), Prof Ibrahim Haruna, and Mrs Leah Olusiyi.

They stated that the group had yet to announce its decision on who to support in 2023.

“We wish to draw the general public’s attention to the recent position canvassed by our Chairman, B.D Lawal, as the position of our group.”

“We wish to state that necessary consultations have concluded, and the group is poised to adopt a position that will be made public at an interfaith event to be held very soon, based on manifestly unassailable empirical data.”

“Suffice it to say, no one in the group, including the chairman, has been mandated to speak to the public about our current position.” Our strategy called for us to present our position to the general public at the aforementioned event. That has not changed,” according to the group.