Taraba APC Guber Primary: CAN Condemns Islamic Cleric’s Statement

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Taraba State chapter, on Sunday, condemned in strong terms a viral video where an Islamic cleric was heard urging Muslims in the State to stand and take over political power.

Rev. Isaiah Magaji-Jirapye, the State CAN Chairman, in a statement, said CAN viewed it as a calculated plot to set the stage on fire.

He blamed the development on outside forces that are not happy with the peace Taraba is enjoying.

According to Rev. Jirapye, “The State has a long-standing history of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims.”

He said, “The attention of the Taraba State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to several video clips of Islamic Clerics from outside Taraba State, threatening religious war and the establishment of a sharia Islamic government in Taraba over the recent APC governorship primaries in the State, in which a Christian, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was announced the winner.”

According to CAN, the messages of those clerics stood condemned by all reasonable individuals and called for their immediate arrest.

The State CAN further urge the APC to settle their party issues without bringing in religion.

The statement emphasized that CAN is not a partisan organization but observed with dismay the threats on Christians in Taraba State and an attempt to instigate religious unrest by some Islamic Clerics from across Nigeria.

It stated that well-meaning Nigerians are shocked that a purely political party affair could be given a religious coloration and segregation capable of destabilizing the entire nation.

The statement called on intelligence agencies and the Federal Government to expedite actions and apprehend and prosecute the individuals in the said video.