The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Regional Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), to wait until the 2027 elections if he intends to become Nigeria’s Vice President.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, issued the statement in response to Dachomo’s comments during a Channels TV interview on Monday, December 1.
During the interview, Dachomo—who has repeatedly alleged an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria—claimed that having both the President and Vice President as Muslims was proof of political marginalization of Christians. He insisted that the supposed imbalance could only be corrected if Vice President Kashim Shettima vacated his office for a Christian.
“Shettima is a Muslim, the President is a Muslim. Is that not complete genocide to Christians in the political world? The way forward is to remove Shettima, and I stand on it,” Dachomo said.
In its reaction, MURIC criticised the cleric’s remarks, describing them as exaggerated and undemocratic.
“A new twist was added to the Christian genocide narrative on December 1 when Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo claimed on national television that the Muslim-Muslim ticket amounts to Christian genocide,” the statement read.
“MURIC finds his outburst emotional, inflammatory, and lacking in substance. It undermines democratic processes—from campaigns to elections—and dismisses the extensive judicial reviews up to the Supreme Court. How can anyone propose removing a Vice President who emerged from a free, fair, and credible election? If Dachomo wants the position, he should follow the democratic path and wait for 2027.”
The group further accused the cleric of being overly fixated on the Muslim-Muslim ticket and pushing a false narrative of genocide. MURIC also referenced past incidents—such as the 2018 case of Major-General Idris Alkali, who was ambushed and later found dead—arguing that attempts to distract security agencies through sensationalism are not new.
According to MURIC, the recent uproar over “Christian genocide” appears motivated by political ambition rather than genuine concern. The organisation praised Christians who rejected the rhetoric and urged both Muslims and Christians to unite against insecurity.
Before concluding, MURIC cautioned Dachomo over his combative tone during the interview, stressing that religious leaders should model restraint rather than incitement.
0 Comments