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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State chapter, Bishop Mohammed Naga, has said that religion should not be the determining factor in choosing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023.
Naga spoke at a peace building symposium organised by Kaltum Foundation for Peace, themed, “Political Violence: Seeking Innovative (Non-Kinetic) Approaches to Restoring Peace in North East Nigeria,” in Maiduguri, on Monday.
According to Naga, with the current problems bedeviling the country, Nigerians should be looking for a man who will take them out of the problems.
He said: “I told my people that when our churches were burnt down, a Muslim man rebuilt eight churches for us. Where were the Christians?
“We are facing different problems. In the North East we have Boko Haram, in the North West and the North Central, they have bandits and farmers/herders’ challenges, in the South East they are facing IPOB problem. So, we need someone that will end this mess we have found ourselves in.
“It is not about religion; it is about the future of our youths. We have more than 200 million people, and 65 per cent are youths. So, it should go beyond religion.
“We clerics should not allow ourselves to be used by politicians. Don’t let them divide us; let us go back to God for divine intervention for the country.”