Anti-Christian Viral Video: NCA condemns Oyo lawmaker’s ‘divisive’ remark, urges APC to prevail on Shittu
The Northern Christian Association (NCA) has demanded the immediate retraction of alleged anti-Christian remarks by a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Shittu, and an apology to Nigerians over his call for voters to reject Christian candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Shittu, who represents Saki West State Constituency and is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reportedly made the remarks while addressing voters at a recent gathering in Oyo State.
In a video of the gathering that has gone viral on social media, the lawmaker was seen urging Muslims to support Muslim candidates and reject political parties fielding Christian candidates for governor.
He was quoted as saying: “We are appealing to you, our fathers, that you must stand with our candidates who are Muslims.
“Anyone who selects a Christian candidate for governor, let us reject them and not vote for them. If we vote for them, they will punish Muslims.”
Reacting to the remarks, NCA Chairman, Joseph John Hayab, called on the APC to compel the lawmaker to withdraw what he described as a divisive campaign statement.
Hayab also urged Governor Seyi Makinde and President Bola Tinubu to publicly distance themselves from the remarks, arguing that political leaders should not encourage the use of religion to divide voters.
“By his word he is telling the electorate that he will punish those who are not his religion. The Governor of his state and Mr President should openly distance themselves from this short-sighted politician who lacks maturity,” Hayab was quoted as saying.
He further urged the APC to take disciplinary action against the lawmaker, including demanding an apology and withdrawal of the statement.
“His party should take a bold step to ask him to apologise, withdraw such a divisive campaign or resign because he will be a bad market for his party,” he said.
Hayab also cautioned Nigerians against politicians who invoke religious sentiments during election campaigns, saying voters should scrutinise candidates based on their policies, records and capacity to govern rather than their religious affiliations.
“Nigerians should be wary of this type of politician and politics. From the onset, he has shown he has nothing to offer the people. Nigerians are looking for patriots that will unite the country, not bigots like this candidate,” he added.
The controversy has also attracted criticism from human rights and civil society activists.
National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Sanyaolu Juwon, alleged that the statement was part of a broader attempt by political actors to exploit ethnic and religious divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, politicians should focus their campaigns on issues affecting Nigerians, including poverty, insecurity and the state of the economy, rather than seeking electoral advantage through religious mobilisation.
“Part of this strategy is an attempt to divide the Nigerian people along ethno-religious lines. And these were the tribal cards they played in the 2023 general elections,” Juwon said.
He urged Nigerians not to allow politicians to exploit ethnic and religious differences for electoral purposes.
“Nigerians should not allow themselves to be pushed around by politicians who intend to divide them by ethnic lines but should focus on issues that bind us together such as poverty and insecurity,” he said.
Similarly, the Oyo State Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, Abiodun Bamigboye, condemned the reported remarks, describing the exploitation of religious and ethnic divisions during elections as a recurring political tactic.
“It is not surprising. It is the characteristic of bogus politicians to always take the available divisions among the working people in the society in order to get themselves into the position of power,” Bamigboye said.
He argued that politicians could exploit a range of social differences, including religion, ethnicity and age, to mobilise support during elections.
The development comes as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with religious identity increasingly featuring in political discussions in parts of the country.
As of time of filing this report, Shittu had not publicly announced a retraction or issued a public apology over the remarks.
Credit: Peoples Gazette