From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Christian Youths and Elders in Plateau (CYEP) have called on women, youths and all ethnic groups in the state to come out en mass and vote for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Caleb Mutfwang, during the Saturday Governorship and State House of Assembly elections to stop the looming political jihad in the state.
The chairman of the group, Elder Joshua J Ringsum, disclosed this on Thursday during a press conference in Jos, describing the visit of Vice President-Elect, Kashim Shittima, and Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai to Jos, coupled with the inflammatory statements made by Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, as an advanced towards causing division among ethnic groups and advance their political jihad.
“Since this Saturday election is between light and darkness, we urge all Plateau youths, elders, women and first-time voters to make us proud like the last election and to kindly come out en mass to vote Barr. Caleb Mutfwang in the PDP.
“The patience of our members has been stretched to breaking point. We have exhausted all avenues to restrain them from defending our heritage, this may soon have no option but to allow them to seek ways to protect their votes, state and communities.”
Ringsum stated further, “We noticed that during Kashim Shittima’s visit to Plateau, he did not care to pay a courtesy visit to our Plateau Christian leaders, CAN and our traditional institutions. We observed the political jihad over Plateau using the APC ginger weed party to consume us like wildfire, that is why Kashim Shittima came to instigate the Muslim Ummah against Plateau indigene.
“In the past two to three decades, Sheik Sani Yahaya Jingir has been uttering statements capable of destroying Plateau/Middle Belt and the ethnic tribes. There is a grand conspiracy to rig our gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections coming up on 18 March 2023 to divert the true position of the Plateau people.
“We call on all to avoid ethnic and religious sentiment on the Plateau. We hereby encourage all electorate to vote come out en mass and vote massively for PDP candidate, Barr Caleb Mutfwang and protect their vote.”
The Christian Elders and Youths lamented that despite all the inflammatory comments made by Sheik Yahaya Jingir, CAN, PIDAN and the APC governorship candidate, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, have remained silent, which suggests that they are aligning with the comments.
The group called on religious leaders to use their platforms to churn out religious values that will enhance social harmony and applauded the State Inter-Religious Council for conducting itself in an orderly manner.
“We respectfully urge the council to strengthen her monitoring mechanism to check such religious leaders who fan the embers of disunity and hatred in the cause of their duties.
“We condemn in the strongest term the inflammatory statement by Sheik Sani Yahaya Jingir on the politics of Plateau, and Berom ethnic nationality, some Plateau northern elders and Christians. While such is unacceptable to us as Christians no matter the provocation.”