On Thursday, November 3, 2022, a group calling itself the 19 Northern States Movement For Kashim Shettima pledged to deliver 20 million votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, in the upcoming 2023 elections.
This comes as Christian clerics from the 19 Northern states converged in Kaduna to deliver a letter to Senator Shettima outlining their expectations if he wins, assuring him of their support.
In response to the clerics’ turnout, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, DG, 19 Northern States Movement For Kashim Shettima, stated that the group was initially committed to delivering 16 million votes for APC in the presidential elections next year, but with the overwhelming support of the Christian clerics, he is vowing to deliver nothing less than 20 million votes.
I am excited about the love Christians have for Tinubu/Shettima.
We promised that we were going to deliver 16m votes across 19 Northern states, with support of Christians from 19 Northern states, because of the key role, we are now going to give Tinubu 20m votes across 19 Northern states, he said.
He promised to deliver the letter from the 19 Northern states presented to him by the cleric to Senator Kashim Shettima, assuring them of positive feedback.
Previously, the clerics, mostly youth, believed that the APC joint ticket of Tinubu/Shettima would reset Nigeria for progress and unity.
In his welcome address, Bishop Monday Yaknat stated that the church is not opposed to, nor is it fighting, the APC.
As ministers of the gospel, we are fathers, we belong to everybody. If APC comes to us, we pray with them, if any other party comes to us, we pray with them. We will present a letter to Shettima and assure him that we will stand behind him, we will support him and if God gives him victory, he should remember that, he said.
Bishop Monday Yaknat who is the Executive Director of the Hope For Handicap Persons Foundation thanked those that attended.
I know most Christians don’t want to hear the name APC, but the fact is that some of us must be there.
DG did not give me one Naira, but he has assured us that all of us would be carried along. He assured us that after the programme, 20 bishops will be picked and handed over to Shettima.
We are not doing this as politicians; we are doing this as a Church. We are not saying everybody must vote for APC, but I am assuring you that some of us will vote APC, including my humble self.
For those of you coming here for the first time, we have a group of ministers that are involved in politics. We are insisting pastors should be involved in politics. If you feel you are interested, you can join our group, we don’t only do politics, we encourage and help ourselves, especially those that are just starting.
Earlier in a corporate prayer session anchored by Bishop Sam Alaku from Gospel Ambassadors Outreach Ministry, Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa State, he said that they were there to honor the call of the DG 19 Northern States Movement For Kashim Shettima.
He said;
This movement we believe is the only group that will bring unity in the 19 Northern States based on the love and passion they have. We therefore, encourage our Christian faithful to support the Vice Presidential candidate of Shettima and Tinubu.
I believe as followers of Christ and church workers, their aim has been achieved and we promise to give him the support, if elected president, he said.
The group, whose motto is “Empowering Northern Organizations,” made the announcement at the Bajju Town Hall in Kaduna, where Christian clerics of various denominations and other faithful were present.
The meeting began with a praise and worship session, during which several popular songs were chorused.
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