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| CAN leader Ayo Oritsejafor |
News reports have emerged yesterday about the allegation by the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, that President Goodluck Jonathan’s PDP bribed some pastors N6bn to campaign against the Presidential candidate of the APC, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the upcoming presidential election reports Punch Nigeria.
Kallamu Dikwa, a Borno State-based Pastor said the sum allegedly given to the pastors by the Presidency was actually N7bn and not N6bn as claimed by Amaechi, who doubles as the Director-General of the APC's Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Amaechi had claimed that some anonymous leaders of the PDP gave N6bn to some Christian clerics to campaign against the APC.
While reacting to the Northern States Christian Elders Forum, who challenged Amaechi to reel out the names of those pastors involved in the bribery scandal, Dikwa mentioned to journalists in Kaduna yesterday that the said money was channeled through the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Dikwa, who doubles as the Executive Director of the Voice of Northern Christian Movement, stated that CAN got the said sum (N7bn) on January 26, 2015 and disbursed N3m each to state Chairmen of the CAN across the country.
But the Presidency and CAN had openly denied this allegation. While the Presidency said that Dikwa was working for the APC, the General Secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Ayake, maintained that the allegation was total false.
However, Dikwa, further mentioned that CAN had started threatening Christians in the Borno that they must re-elect President Jonathan in the rescheduled election.
“This is what I can say. One of the CAN officials from Abuja said to me that they have collected the sum. The corruption in CAN is worrisome, they are corrupting the body of Christ because of money.
“They are now threatening Christians in Borno State that they will deal with anybody who refused to vote for Jonathan. And the CAN officials are now campaigning that if Buhari emerges President he will islamise Nigeria; and that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will resign soon after Buhari wins to give way for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to emerge Vice President.
“And at the same time, CAN is threatening Christians in Borno if they didn’t vote for Jonathan. And the same CAN continues to blackmail Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that Islamic world has bought Osinbajo with millions of dollars, all this is because of the N7bn bribery that they have received from Jonathan.”
In contrast, Ayake in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin on Thursday said, “At no time did CAN collect money from Jonathan to preach against Buhari or to give the impression that Buhari wants to islamise Nigeria.”
Ayake added, “I do not think I will lower ourselves, our integrity and our positions to somebody who is fake, who called himself a pastor when he is not; a liar, somebody who does not even know his left from his right. I know the person, if I want to comment, I will be lowering myself and my integrity to such a thing. Please that person is not what he claims to be.
“What he said is a lie. It did not happen. It will not happen.
“He is a liar. We should not waste our time on him. He is not a pastor. He has never been a pastor. He is just a liar. If I should reply, I would be lowering myself. What he said is between him and his God. Let him know that when this life is over, we are going to stand before God to give an account of what we said or did in this life. Let him continue with his lies, God will catch up with him one day.”
Also, the Presidency said that Dikwa was making up this allegation because he works for the APC.
It further said that was the reason he would continue to say anything that could advance the interest of his political party.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, stated during an interview with Journalists.
Abati said, “Is the pastor a member of the APC? He probably belongs to the APC. Since he is a member of the APC, he will echo, modify and amplify whatever Amaechi said.
“I think before you do anything, you should establish the political affiliation of that pastor.
“He must be a member of the APC. Otherwise, he will face his primary responsibility as a pastor.
“I have no doubt that the man is a member of the APC. As a member of the APC, he will say whatever he feels will advance the course of his party.”
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