“This is the first time since 1999 that both the office of the president and that of the vice president are occupied by persons of the same faith (Muslim). We are among the Christians that stood out the ground and supported the Muslim-Muslim tickets.
The Concern Christians of Nigeria in Kaduna State has pleaded with the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to reserve the slots for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Chief of Staff to the President, for Christians in the forthcoming administration.
The group argued that since the President-elect and Vice President-elect were Muslims, the two positions should go to Christians for the sake of fairness, equity, and justice.
A statement by the Leader of the group, Rt. Hon. John Audu-Kwaturu, titled, ‘Presidential Election: Christian Group Tasks Tinubu on Inclusive, Equitable Appointments,’ issued in Kaduna, explained that the next political dispensation under the Tinubu government should be more inclusive, and equitable in terms of appointment such that Christians would have a sense of belonging in the country.
The group said doing so would dowse the current tension following the outcry which greeted the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the Tinubu Presidency.
“The presidency should be inclusive and fair. It is no longer news in Nigeria that the president-elect His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu with his vice His Excellency Kashim Shattima the vice President-elect are both from the same faith which has stirred so much uproar within the political space in Nigeria.
“This is the first time since 1999 that both the office of the president and that of the vice president are occupied by persons of the same faith (Muslim). We are among the Christians that stood out the ground and supported the Muslim-Muslim tickets. Thus, the Christian communities are calling for fairness in terms of appointments into key positions in the incoming government.
“Since the office of the president and that of the vice President is Muslim Muslim then the office of the Chief of Staff to the president and that of the S.G.F should also be Christian Christian so that the Christian communities will not say that the Presidency is being Islamized. This will show inclusion in the incoming government and it will also ease the present tension bedeviling our nation.
“We appreciate the president-elect for his kind gesture, we will also want to remind the president-elect how his appointment in the campaign council from the director general of the campaign council to the secretary went a long way to ease the tension of the Muslim Muslim tickets.
“We call on Mr president-elect to use his brilliant ideas to balance up. As we’ll continue to pray for him and also to support him,” they said