The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria came to the defense of former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, regarding a viral video where he justified appointing Muslims to key positions in the state government instead of Christians.

Recall that during former Governor El Rufai meeting with Islamic clerics on his last day in office, he revealed that Muslims had voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election.

In the viral video of the meeting, he expressed his belief that the predominance of Islam in the governance of Kaduna State was here to stay, expressing his satisfaction that this trend had been successfully replicated at the national level with the election of former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as president, and Kashim Shettima as vice president.

In response to the former governor’s remarks, the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), represented by its chairman Rev. John Hayab, urged the public to disregard El-Rufai’s statements, asserting that he was simply seeking attention and playing games.

The statement from CAN provoked a strong reaction from the Sharia Council, with the state Secretary, AbdurRahman Hassan, in Kaduna on Sunday, expressing their frustration.

The Sharia Council declared that if the Christian Association had known the consequences, they would have refrained from making any statements and chosen to follow the path of honor.

Expressing their concern, the Council lamented that if not for divine intervention, Nigeria would have been in a dire situation after the 2023 general elections due to the careless remarks made by Christian leaders throughout the country.

The Council specifically referred to a viral video on social media featuring Apostle Kassy Chukwu, who made insinuation that Tinubu’s wife should have poisoned him yet CAN did not taking any action in response to such remarks.

The statement added, “For the past one week the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State Chapter has been wagging tongues accusing the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufa’i for making some statements as far as CAN is concerned, simply because he aired his view on the political realities of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“During the campaigns of the just concluded elections in this country, where was CAN when a majority of pastors were making unguarded utterances, which if not for the help of Allah (SWT), Nigeria would have been history.

“Where was CAN when a pastor stood on the pulpit with AK-47 in Abuja? Where was CAN when some Christian clergies were making prophecies of doom for this country? But Alhamdu Lillah, all the hullabaloo, and all the fake and false prophecies, nothing negative happened to our dear country Nigeria.

“The Muslim Ummah has been tolerant enough, if not, there is no way, a Muslim Dominated state like Taraba, will be governed by a Christian. If a plateau state with a population of over 35per cent Muslims were denied the Deputy Governor slot, why should Kaduna State with a Muslim population of close to 75 per cent not have Muslim-Muslim ticket?

“CAN should better understand that democracy is a game of numbers, and that was what played out during the just concluded presidential elections.

“The Muslim votes were divided into four places; Mallam Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC, Alh. Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of NNPP and Mallam Kola Abiola of PRP, while the entire Christians of both northern and southern parts of this country (if not but a few) gave a bulk vote to Mr. Peter Obi of LP. Despite this, Mallam Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, emerged as the winner of the election and is now our President.

“Let the politicalised CAN understand that peace is only achieved when there is justice and adherence to the democratic norm, which is relative to demographic realities.

“Good men of God always preach peace, not violence and instigative tendencies which in turn, will be a threat to peace and development. We eschew CAN to toe the line of honour in neutrality, rather than playing double standards.”

In a letter addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, the founder of Throne-room Ministry in Kafanchan, announced his immediate resignation. The letter stated that Kure’s decision to resign was effective immediately.

In his resignation letter, Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure expressed that he could not, in good conscience, continue to serve on a committee that would contribute to disharmony and the further disintegration of the nation.

He further alleged that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had not implemented any of the suggestions discussed during their numerous meetings.

The letter partly reads, “In the backdrop of the viral video statement credited to His Excellency, the now defunct Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (which he is yet to openly deny) in which he openly thanked one religion over the other and explained why his government discriminated against one side and his wish that the Muslim-Muslim ticket and religion be entrenched as the sole ruler over Nigeria, which is contrary to my belief and the fairness that my faith teaches me and that, I think, the Peace Commission stands for.

“I hereby tender my resignation as both Co-Chair and Member of this laudable Committee because it is clear that we were set up to serve a diversionary interest and that we were not meant to succeed.”