No fewer than eight All Progressives Congress (APC) Christian leaders in the North, led by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Prof Doknan Sheni, have distanced themselves from former secretary to government of the federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, over his public declaration of support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Recall a group with claims to comprise of some Northern Christian politicians, led by Lawal, had endorsed Obi as its preferred candidate for the 2023 polls.
In reaction, the APC northern leaders stated that Lawal was expressing a personal choice and not that of the group.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Simon Achuba, Albert Atiwurcha, Prof Doknan Sheni, Mela A. Nung, Gen Ishaya Bauka (retd.), Prof Ibrahim Haruna and Mrs Leah Olusiyi on Thursday.
The group revealed in the statement that it was yet to endorse any presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 polls.
The politicians, however, disclosed that due consultations have been concluded, and that their position would be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
The statement reads in part: “We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position which will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.”
“Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are solely the decision and views of the chairman which he is absolutely entitled to but not that of the group. We hope this statement clears all the queries most of us have been inundated with on this all-important subject matter.”
“We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position which will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
“Suffices to say that no one in the group including the chairman has been mandated to speak to the public about our position at this material time.
“Based on our modus Operandi, our position was meant to be presented to the general public at the event above referred to. That has not changed.”