A delegation, On Tuesday, comprising pastors and bishops based in Abuja appealed to the newly elected Federal lawmakers and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to embrace a spirit of balance and equity in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. The delegation, operating under the banner of the Nigeria Coalition of Pastors for Good Leadership, advocated for Christians to hold the positions of Speaker in the House of Representatives and Senate President.
In a statement signed by the coalition’s president, Apostle Babatunde Oguntimehin, it was asserted that considering the President and Vice-President share the same religion, the leadership roles in the House of Representatives and Senate should be filled by Christians.
The APC had previously announced Senator Godwin Akpabio, the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as its consensus candidate for the Senate presidency in the 10th Assembly, with Senator Jibrin Barau adopted as the next Deputy Senate President.
Oguntimehin, in the statement, emphasized that despite challenges, the coalition had supported the candidacy of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice-President, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election. He reiterated their commitment to the principle of power shift, pointing out the need for a balanced equation given the shared religious affiliation of the President and Vice President.
“We as a group of pastors have come to demand that since the Vice President and President are of the same religion, we hereby demand that the speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President must be occupied by Christians. There is a need to balance the equation. We want to appeal to the lawmakers elect and the APC to take cognisance of this,” Oguntimehin said.
The coalition president, however, noted that they are not supporting any candidate for the speakership position of the National Assembly but call for equity and fairness, adding that “They (federal lawmakers and the APC) must give hope to the Nigerian Christians.”
