Minister of state for labour and employment Festus Keyamo has knocked the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), an arm of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), over its recent comments about the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
The APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu recently met with some persons who identified themselves as members of the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria. But the PFN disowned the group.
Keyamo, a spokesperson of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, said during an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics that the PFN cannot dictate who will be the APC vice-presidential candidate.
He said, “The purpose or duty of pastors, we have said so before, is to lead people to heaven. It is not to lead people to (Aso) Villa. The PFN should go and vote for their choice of candidates on election day if they seek to. They should not be questioning the decision nor our party publicly.
“They are called by God to lead to heaven. If I go to Church every Sunday, I want to hear the sermon of God, not the sermon of politics on who should rule me. I want to listen to them talk about salvation, not Villa.”
According to the minister, PFN and CAN are not members of APC and should stop interfering in the affairs of the ruling party.
Keyamo added that the Christian bodies should join the political party if they want to take part in the country’s decision-making process.
“Is the PFN or CAN a member or structure of APC? The vice presidential candidate is a decision of our party leaders. It is our party’s decision. These external bodies are not part of us.
“If they want to take part in the decision-making process, they can as well come and join the political party. But they cannot stay outside and dictate to us how to conduct our affairs.
“If it is so offensive to certain persons, there is no need for the noise. They have options,” he said.
