By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
As the 2027 general elections draw near, a group, the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF), said they are going to resist the idea of Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Chairman of the forum, Elder Sunday Oibe, disclosed this in Kaduna State.
He said the forum wants it to be Christian and Muslim ticket adding that, these are the major religious groups in the country.
“As Christian leaders in the North, we believe that God brought Christians and Muslims together in this country and expects fairness, justice and equity.
“There is nothing wrong with balancing governance between the two major religions,” he said. “We will not support a same-religion ticket, just as we rejected it in the past. Nigeria needs peace, fairness and genuine democracy.”
X-raying the mandate of NOSCEF, Oibe said he was elected to unite and direct the affairs of Christian elders in the region and to address challenges facing Christians, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
“There are many daunting issues confronting the Church in the North. Many people in the South do not even know that there are Christians in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. Yet, we have a sizable Christian population in these states.
“The forum exists to address the socio-political issues affecting this group, and by God’s grace, we are determined to confront them holistically,” Oibe said.
On economic hardship and insecurity, Oibe argued that Christians in the North have been disproportionately affected, especially since the emergence of Boko Haram.
“From the time Boko Haram started, Christians were mostly the ones being killed and churches were bombed. Even before Boko Haram, marginalisation was already taking place,” he said. “In local governments across Kano, northern Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto, you hardly find qualified indigenous Christians employed in the civil service. Many are forced to change their names or relocate to the South.”
Reacting to recent U.S. involvement in counter-terrorism efforts, including air strikes on Christmas Day, Oibe described the intervention as welcome but embarrassing for Nigeria.
“It exposes the failure of Nigeria’s political and security leadership to decisively address terrorism,” he said. “Military action alone is not enough. The government must arrest and prosecute the sponsors, promoters and financiers of terrorism, who are known, for lasting peace to be achieved.”
He dismissed claims that America’s involvement was religiously motivated. “That narrative is cheap blackmail and an evil interpretation. This is not about religion; it is about humanity and fighting insurgency,” he said.
Addressing reports of leadership disputes within the Northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oibe said there was no genuine crisis, insisting that NOSCEF was created to complement existing Christian bodies.
“Some individuals are being sponsored to cause division because the forum has taken a firm stand against unfair political arrangements. At the appropriate time, those behind such actions will be exposed,” he stated.
On the federal government’s tax policy, Oibe urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend its implementation and review it.
“Nigerians are suffering, and many are unhappy with the policy. It should be taken back to the drawing board,” he said.
He also lamented the way the country is turning into a one party state which he said may undermine the conduct of free, fair and credible polls in Nigeria.
He warned that the increasing dominance of a single political party poses a serious threat to democracy, describing the drift toward a one-party state as undemocratic and dangerous.
“If the current political trend continues, the signs do not suggest that the 2027 elections will be free, fair and credible. Forcing everyone into one political party is against democratic principles. Democracy thrives on diversity and opposition.”
He expressed concern that political actors appear more focused on future elections than on governance, noting that, discussions about 2027 are premature. “I do not like talking too far ahead of the 2027 elections. Life is in the hands of God. I am surprised that politicians are already focused on elections instead of delivering good governance to the people,” Oibe said.
