Prominent members of the Northern APC Christian Leaders have distanced themselves from the statement credited to their chairman, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, that the group had endorsed the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in protest against the ruling All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Engr. Babachir had earlier on Thursday announced that his aggrieved group within the APC had opted for Peter Obi because of APC’s same-faith ticket and LP’s potential of winning the 2023 presidential election.
But, eight members of the Northern APC Christian Leaders have distanced themselves and the group from Babachir’s position, saying it was his personal opinion and does not represent the stance of the group.
In a statement jointly signed by the eight members of the group including a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, and a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Acbuba, made available to the media on Thursday night, they said their group, after all due diligence, had taken a position already and had agreed at a particular time and occasion to reveal the position.
They added that no one among the members of the group including Engr. Babachir, who is the chairman, has been mandated to speak to the public “about our position at this material time.”
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The statement titled, ‘RE: Dogara, Babachir Lawal-led Northern APC Members Dump Tinubu, Declare Support For Peter Obi’, said: “We want to draw the attention of the general public to the recent position canvassed by our Chairman, Engr B D Lawal as the position of our Group. 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.
“Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are soley 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 querries most of us have been inundated with on this all important subject matter.”
Apart from Dogara and Achuba, others, who signed the statement included Hon. Albert Atiwurcha, Prof Doknan Sheni, Mela A. Nunge, SAN, Gen Ishaya Bauka (rtd), Prof Ibrahim Haruna, and Mrs Leah Olusiyi.
