Archbishop Leonard Bature Kawas, President-General of the Charismatic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), has stated that the Muslim-Muslim ticket under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which previously caused concern among Christians in Nigeria, has now been demystified.
Speaking on Arise News, Kawas said, “Muslim-Muslim ticket has been demystified by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and in his political appointments, giving even more sensitive positions to Christians. So the issue of Muslim-Muslim that scared us before, that made us jittery before, has now been demystified, that it is not really the religion that matters. It is the quality of the leader that matters, and he has demonstrated that by how he has given these sensitive positions to Christians.”
According to him, the concerns surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket have been reduced by the way President Tinubu has allowed Christians to participate actively in his administration and appointed them to key positions in government.
Kawas explained that many Christians were initially apprehensive about the possibility of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, particularly because of concerns about whether Christians would receive fair representation under such an administration. However, he argued that the appointments made by President Tinubu have shown that religious identity does not necessarily determine how a government treats citizens of other faiths.
The CBCN President-General maintained that the quality and character of a leader should be considered more important than the religion of the person occupying the highest political office. He said President Tinubu’s actions since assuming office had, in his view, helped to address some of the fears that surrounded the Muslim-Muslim ticket during the political campaign.
Kawas further noted that the inclusion of Christians in sensitive government positions had provided evidence, in his assessment, that members of different religious groups could have opportunities to contribute to the administration.
He therefore maintained that the experience under the Tinubu administration had changed the perception of the Muslim-Muslim ticket among some Christians who were previously worried about it. Rather than focusing solely on the religious background of political leaders, he urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to their competence, leadership qualities and ability to serve the interests of the entire country nationally.
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