The
All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the General Overseer (GO) of the
Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for dissociating
himself and the church from the offensive and divisive audio CD that is being
circulated by certain political Pastors.
In
a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said by his action, the GO has again exhibited
his characteristic exceptional leadership and shown what religion should be
about, which is love, rather than hate and incendiary statements.
It
particularly expressed satisfaction that the GO specifically asked the RCCG
Pastors to ignore the contents of the audio CD, especially all the references
to political parties, including the APC.
''The
GO's statement, in his response to the APC which had written to protest the
divisive and corrosive statements contained in the audio CD, which has been
smuggled into some RCCG parishes, made it clear that the RCCG is neutral and
apolitical, and that it prays for all irrespective of political persuasion or
creed.
''We
in the APC are delighted at the GO's prompt action and statement that the RCCG
did not endorse divisive comments in any form or shape, that it has sons and
daughters in all political parties, and that the allegations contained in the
audio CD are wickedly false, unsubstantiated, ill-conceived and mischievous.
''Equally
satisfying is the GO's directive asking everyone in possession of the audio CDs
to return them, and the directive to the Church's Pastors to communicate such
to their respective congregations immediately,'' APC said.
On
the obviously-sponsored audio CD, produced by one Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, the
party wondered why a man of God will engage in outright lies to propagate
hatred, incite Christians against Muslims so brazenly, as if the adherents of
both religions are not children of the same God, and then use the platform of
the church to campaign for the PDP while seeking to destroy the APC.
''In
a country where the citizenry, whether Christians or Muslims, have been
shortchanged by greedy, selfish and clueless political leadership, a Pastor
went on record as saying President Goodluck Jonathan has performed 100%, while
at the same time demonizing and denigrating the APC as an 'Islamic Party'
without a scintilla of proof. Much as he struggled to couch his inflammatory
and discordant message in flowery lies, it is clear that he was sponsored to
inseminate lies to shore up the dwindling fortunes of the ruling party
''Where
in the world has an Islamic Party been led by a Christian? Where in the world
has the membership of an Islamic Party been populated by Christians and
Muslims? Why would a Pastor whose primary purpose is to preach the Gospel (good
news) now make himself available, for whatever reason, as a tool to disseminate
lies and bad news?
''Had
this Pastor any sense of history, he would have realized how the propagation of
hatred, as he is currently doing, led to the killing of over 800,000 Tutsi and
moderate Hutu in Rwanda in 1994. This Pastor made it seem as if the terrorists
called Boko Haram are fighting the cause of Nigerian Muslims, when he knows
deep down that this evil group has not spared Muslims either.
''We
have said it repeatedly: Boko Haram is a clear and present danger to Christians
as it is to Muslims. Boko Haram is as dangerous to the rich as it is to the
poor, it is as dangerous to the North as it is to the South. Simply put, Boko
Haram is an enemy of Nigeria and all Nigerians, irrespective of their religion
or ethnicity, must unite to defeat the terrorists,'' it said.
APC
appealed to Nigerians of all creed and ethnicity to repudiate politicians or
politicians in religious garb who may be seeking to divide them on primordial
basis, especially as the general elections are fast approaching.
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