‘You didn’t support Christians as SGF’ — bishop slams Babachir Lawal for criticising Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket
Founder of Living Stone Assembly, a Jos-based church, Bishop Jonas Katung has alleged former Secretary to Government of the Federation(SGF) Babachir Lawal failed to protect the interest of Christians and the church in President Buhari’s administration.
Katung also said the former SGF abandoned his religion and became self-centred for the three years he was in office.
He made the allegations in a statement in Jos while reacting to a statement accredited to Babachir Lawal.
Katung said: “My attention has been drawn to a press statement issued by Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation in which he made disparaging remarks against Pentecostal Bishops from Northern Nigeria who held an interactive meeting with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in FCT Abuja on 22nd September, 2022.”
He explained that the purpose of the meeting with the APC Presidential flagbearer was to hear from him why he chose a Muslim running mate instead of a Christian.
“As church leaders and concerned citizens, a group of Pentecostal Bishops from Northern Nigeria- the region which is most aggrieved by the same faith ticket decision of the APC, decided to engage with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu – the person who is at the centre of the controversy to inter alia, express the concerns and fears of the Christian community not only in Northern Nigeria but the country as a whole and to give him the opportunity to explain his decision.
“As Archbishop John Praise aptly captures it at the interface, this is in line with biblical principles contained in John 7:51 that no one should be condemned without first giving him a hearing, a principle that is also encapsulated in the constitution of our country.
“At the meeting, notable and respected church leaders including Archbishop John Praise – the National Vice President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Rev. Danjuma Byang all spoke to highlight the marginalisation and injustice meted to Christians in the North over the years which has created mistrust in Christians in Nigeria in the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC. The Christian leaders also emphasised that the interface was not in any way an endorsement of the same faith ticket of the APC.
“It is important to note that the church consists of members belonging to different political parties and not being partisan, it must not portray a posture of antagonism to any political party without first having a full appreciation of their decisions and actions. The efforts of the church leaders to bring to the attention of the APC flag bearer the plight and fears of Christians in Northern Nigeria ought to be commended by all people of goodwill, especially Christians.
“It, therefore, came to me as a shock that Babachir Lawal, an eleventh-hour Christian champion had the effrontery to describe these church leaders as fake bishops in his ill-motivated press statement.
