The forum is headed by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.
But a top APC leader tackled Dogara, describing him as a fifth columnist.
This came on a day Governor of Delta State and Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, took a swipe at Bola Tinubu, over the controversy that has trailed the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Our position on same-faith ticket stands Dogara, however, said it will meet with all the presidential candidates, across party lines and come up with its preferred choice.
Dogara met behind closed doors with Christian leaders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in Abuja in continuation of their consultations ahead of the 2023 general elections.
It was gathered that aside the former speaker, others in attendance include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Babachir Lawal; an APC Senator from Adamawa State, Elisha Abbo; former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba and all state chairmen of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Confirming the meeting in a tweet posted on his verified Twitter account, yesterday, Dogara wrote: “#NigeriaDecides2023: The fight for justice continues. Today (yesterday), we held a consultative meeting with Christian leaders from the 19 Northern States and the FCT on the pan-Nigerian platform to adopt in 2023.”
The forum had recently convened a summit of Northern Christian Leaders in Abuja where they rejected the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket by the ruling APC.
No going back on opposition to Muslim-Muslim ticket—CAN chairman
Also confirming the meeting to newsmen the CAN Chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. John Hayab, said: “The meeting was well attended in person by all the CAN chairmen from the North except Katsina state.
“We are saying it’s no going back on our stance against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.”
Asked which political party the Northern Christian leaders have decided to throw their weight behind, Hayab said: “We will meet with leading Christian politicians across party lines to consult with them before deciding on our next line of action.
“We will also wait for signals from the (CAN) national body. They will also point us on the way to go, but the Muslim-Muslim ticket is out of the equation.
“What we had expected from the APC was for them to call the Church together and explain themselves rather than hiring impostors to impersonate genuine Christian leaders.”
