Following a period of seeming harmony inside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), discordant notes are already emerging ahead of the lengthy four-month campaign period for the 2023 general elections, which will formally begin on September 28.
‘Pentecostal Bishops’ Forum of Northern Nigeria,’ which met with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Friday in Abuja, has been rejected by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), only two days after Tinubu’s visit to the APC presidential candidate. This is a result of the controversy surrounding the ruling party’s decision to run a single-faith ticket in the next presidential elections.
Bishop David Bakare, the PFN’s Deputy National Secretary, condemned the clerics’ meeting yesterday and said that such a group does not exist within the PFN, “there is nothing in PFN that is regional based like Southern or Northern Pentecostal Bishops.
“The PFN was not part of the meeting with the presidential candidate that was highly politicised. We are, however, aware of the ripples in the public domain about this matter. I am speaking officially to clarify that PFN has nothing to do with that,” he stated.
Continuing, Bakare said: “The PFN is an arm of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the position of the fellowship on the same faith presidential ticket of the APC has not changed. I am speaking to you officially and authoritatively that the ranks of the Christian community and of course, the PFN, which I represent, is not broken at all.
“The Pentecostal Bishops’ Forum of Northern Nigeria is not known to the PFN. The forum does not have any affiliation or relationship with the PFN that is registered with the government of this nation. The position of the PFN on same faith ticket still stands as it was in the beginning and we have not, for any reason, shifted our position on that matter.
“I looked at the photos and the names. I could recognise about two who are our members, but they speak for themselves. All Pentecostal leaders in Nigeria, from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Living Faith, Mountain of Fire, House on the Rock, among others, speak with one voice.
“Finally, I wish to let you know that there is nothing in PFN that is regionally based like Southern or Northern Pentecostal Bishops. As a matter of fact, the PFN does not have any settings for Bishops. What we have is PFN, we do not separate Bishops of Pentecostal from other clergies of Pentecostal. PFN is just one body under which all Bishops, Pastors and members are lined up behind Bishop Francis Wale Oke, the President. We stand by our decision, we have not and will not bend to the dictate of any political group.”
