Christian group faults Tinubu’s participation in Arab-Islamic Summit

The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), on Saturday, expressed worry over President Bola Tinubu’s participation in the Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia last November.

The elders observed that the president’s participation misrepresents Nigeria’s constitutional status as a secular state.

NCEF Chairman, Dr. Samuel Danjuma Gani, in a statement on the State of the Nation on Saturday, noted that Section 10 of the Nigeria Constitution explicitly states that the government shall not adopt any religion as a state religion.

Tinubu had last year attended an extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, convened to address the current situation in the Middle East.

The one-day summit was a follow-up to the Riyadh summit from 2023 and was attended by Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab.

It was held at the invitation of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At the summit, Tinubu called for an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza.

However, the christian elders observed that Tinubu’s actions could deepen the religious divide in Nigeria, saying that the President’s “should not have participated in the Arab-Islamic Summit because Nigeria is neither an Arab country, nor an Islamic state.-

Gani while maintaining that Nigeria remains a deeply divided country with many non-state actors putting pressure on its security, said the matter of religious discrimination is yet to be fully addressed by the government.

According to him, violation of citizens rights to religious belief is still common in many parts of northern Nigeria, adding that the secularity of the Nigerian State is openly challenged by some relentless religious extremists.

“NCEF is concerned that rather than promote the secularity of the country, the government acted recently to deepen the religious divide. The participation of President Tinubu in the Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia, in November 2024, is a disturbing signal misrepresenting the constitutional status of Nigeria.

“Section 10 of the Constitution says the Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion”. The Constitution is clear on the matter of Government and religion. President Tinubu should not have participated in the Arab-Islamic Summit because Nigeria is neither an Arab country, nor an Islamic state.

“NCEF calls for caution from leaders of the country to ensure that the neutrality of the State on religious issues is not compromised. Section 10 and Section 38(1) of the Constitution are specific on this matter. The government should not be seen as the “agent provocateur” inflaming religious crisis in the country,” the statement stated.

The forum further attributed the country’s distressing condition to dysfunctional government policies, corruption, and perennial attacks on farmers by insurgent.

Gani also called on the government to take immediate action against the extortion of money by security agents from those transporting foodstuff across the country.

According to him, these illegal levies add to the price of foodstuff in the market.

The elders further criticized the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove fuel subsidies, which has led to a significant increase in fuel prices.

The forum argued that this policy has exerted immense inflationary pressure on the country, making it difficult for citizens to afford basic necessities.

The elders called on President Tinubu to reconsider the pricing regime of fuel and prioritize the welfare of citizens.