A Pentecostal Pastor based in Calabar, a legal luminary and a politician, Pastor Edem Ekong Esq. has argued that a Muslim-Muslim ticket for any political office may seem insensitive and disdainful to many but it cannot affect the growth of any other religion, person or the Country at large.
Edem who was one of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Cross River State spoke in a telephone interview with the Nation.
He maintained that religion has a role in politics because instances abound in the Bible where prophets of God excelled under Kings that worshipped a different God.
He said, what is important is that whoever is the head knows God and is God fearing.
‘I can tell you about Joseph and Daniel in the Bible. Daniel went through about four Kings and he excelled in each of those.
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Christians should not stay away from Politics because of a none Christian King or ruler. There is nothing such as none- Christian ruler can do to stop the growth of a Christian or the nation. David was a king and a priest, whenever there was a problem, he went to God by himself. Denial was a Christian under Nebuccanazar who didn’t even know God. That did not stop Denial from excelling. Joseph was a Prime Minister under Pharaoh who didn’t know God and that didn’t stop Joseph from excelling.
Naahman had leprosy and went to Elijah for a cure. He went to his master and got permission. It’s irrelevant who is in charge, we will still excel.
On the flip side, however, Sir. John Ochala, a Founding Member of APC and Former Deputy National Youth Leader(ANPP) as well as Former Chairman APC Cross River State argued thus: “Ordinarily religion should have no place in politics but it is not so in our clime. I believe that the sentiments are not misplaced; however if the same faith ticket wins the general elections as we pray it does, then a new challenge will be in our hands, how to balance the federal appointments to give a sense of belonging to the other major faith without necessarily compromising competence.”
“The major anxiety is fear of dominance, no faith wants to be dominated by the other.”
He said competence is not enough for an argument because there are competent Christians from the northern part of Nigeria as well.