The All Progressives Congress has criticised Pastor Bosun Emmanuel’s audio CD, now on You Tube, in which he attempted to mobilise a Christian resistance to what he called a plot to Islamise Nigeria, by some forces including the APC.

The party described the audio production “obviously sponsored” and 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.’

•Oritsejafor: president of CAN

(The message of hate by Pastor Bosun Emmanuel: )

”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 disseminate lies to shore up the dwindling fortunes of the ruling party”, the party’s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said today.

”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.

The party however commended the General Overseer (GO) of the Redeemed 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.

Lai Mohammed said by the GO’s action, he has again exhibited his characteristic exceptional leadership and shown what religion should be about, which is love, rather than hate and incendiary statements.

He 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.

Pastor Emmanuel in the audio post said he was ordained an assistant pastor by the Redeedmed Church of Christ. He did not mention the year. He said he later left for Germany where he served as national coordinator for the Redeemed Church.

He returned to Nigeria in 2006, but did not indicate whether he rejoined the Redeemed Church. He claimed he has been visiting flash points in northern Nigeria, where he said Christians were being killed and churches destroyed. Emmanuel was a member also of the just concluded National Conference, representing the Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Christian Association of Nigeria.