The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of letting down President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite what it described as the President’s generous consideration for Christians in federal appointments.
The allegation comes in the wake of former United States President Donald Trump’s decision to place Nigeria back on the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged genocide against Christians.
In a statement by Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Founder and Executive Director of MURIC, the organisation criticised what it believes was the role played by some Christian leaders in petitioning US authorities about religious killings in the country.
“Despite vehement denial of Christian genocide by the Nigerian government, US President Donald Trump yesterday redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern,” Akintola said.
MURIC argued that the move was unwarranted, insisting that the picture presented to the US did not reflect the reality in Nigeria.
“This redesignation is blurred, misplaced and distorted. It is a complete misrepresentation of the true picture on ground in Nigeria,” it said.
The group accused unnamed Christian leaders of contributing to Nigeria’s negative image abroad by sending petitions to US officials and alleged that CAN backed these claims rather than refuting them.
“But instead of dissipating energy on debating the rationality or otherwise for the redesignation, we will rather turn our attention to the fifth columnists in our midst.
“It will be recalled that certain Christian leaders had written frivolous petitions to the US Congress claiming that Christians were the only ones being killed by terrorists in Nigeria. Instead of debunking this false and misleading narrative, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) simply amplified it,” Akintola added.
MURIC expressed disappointment over CAN’s stance, saying the association should have acted more responsibly considering its national influence.
“We are nonplussed by the actions of these Christian leaders, most especially that of CAN, which is expected to know better,” it said.
The group further argued that President Tinubu had shown goodwill to Christians through key appointments and other benefits.
“CAN’s action is a stab in the back in view of President Tinubu’s preference of Christians in appointments, favours and privileges over and above his Muslim brethren,” MURIC claimed.
“The president himself confirmed that 62% of all appointments went to the Christians. The First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, was even more generous to them than Father Christmas. In spite of all that was done for Nigerian Christians by this administration, they still deemed it fit to take Nigeria to the enabler of Gaza genocide,” it added.
Calling it a serious act of disloyalty to the President, the group condemned those behind the petitions.
“President Tinubu does not deserve this. It is the Mother of all Betrayals, and we denounce those behind the report in the strongest terms.”
MURIC insisted that while the US may have its own foreign policy interests at play, some Nigerians contributed to the decision by supplying what it described as misleading narratives to American authorities.
